Into the Fray
by Zanmat0
Summary: Upon Souji's return to Inaba, a new threat rears its head; one that would hold a closer connection to two generations than initially expected.
1. Prologue

_Pi-pi-pi-pi-pi…_

_Pi-pi-pi- _

"…Hello? Naoto, is that you?"

"_Yes. I just wanted to call to check up on you."_

"You were worried? I'll be there, don't worry. Just…don't tell anyone. Not yet, at least."

"_Don't worry. Your little plan is safe with me. Um…on the matter of your arrival. I…I've changed a little bit. I-I mean, it's not anything drastic, but…you'll notice when you see me."_

"You've snatched my interest once again, my Princess. I have even more to look forward to now!"

"_Haha…no need to sound so excited. Like I said, it's nothing worth writing home about."_

"Mhm…"

"…_I miss you. I…I'd really like to see you again."_

"I know. I want to see you again, too. It'll just be a few hours, so…wait for me, okay?"

"_Mm. I've survived two years. A little more is nothing."_

"…I'm sorry."

"…_Whatever for?"_

"Two years. Hey, I'll talk to you later, okay? You should get some rest as soon as you're able."

"…_Okay. I'll…see you when I see you?"_

"Definitely. Good night, Naoto,"

"_Likewise, Souji-kun."_

Souji listened until the dial tone was the only noise greeting his ears, save for the usual bustling noises of the city. Slowly closing the phone, he pressed it to his forehead as he focused his gaze outside his window. It was not visible, but he still knew. Inaba was in that direction. And whenever he thought about that, he thought about Naoto. He glanced at the duffel bag he had packed and ready to go, letting his gaze wander to the cabinet next to his bed. A picture taken some time ago stared back, proudly displaying an image of his friends following a rather harrowing experience. Once again, lining up with many times gone by, his eyes fell on the young detective that stood happily with her present company.

He liked her smile. That's one of the little things he missed the most.

And come tomorrow, he would be able to devote his time to coaxing it out of her once again.

...Or so he thought.

* * *

**Just…laying down the groundwork for something. I don't know for sure when the first chapter will be out (I **_**can **_**say that it **_**is **_**almost done), but when it is; I hope you'll give it a read.**

**Till then, see ya.**


	2. Homecoming

[- Chapter 1 -]

Setting foot on the train to Inaba again seemed like it was another step into another adventure. As Souji plopped himself down on the seat nearest to the door, he leaned his head back and sighed deeply, earning one or two concerned looks from other passengers. Closing his already half-shut eyes, he rehearsed what he would do when he saw…her, again.

"_I…I've changed a little bit. I-I mean, it's not anything drastic, but…"_

"  
…What does that mean?"

He rested his face in his palms, letting his mind wander as he muttered something in his exasperation. 'Didn't really matter', is what he contented himself with. If all else fails…wing it.

Naoto Shirogane was unwittingly of the same mentality at that moment. It had been a rough morning, but in her line of work, at least to her, that was fairly normal. In this case it was rather normal, with a healthy dose of unorthodox. The latter feeling stemmed from a strange fusion of being obligated to work aside from…

Being obligated to work while scarcely being able to focus. After all, the object of her affections was returning to what he considered to be his staple home. Saving it from a fate wrought by gods tended to cement that for people. Then again, their group of friends could hardly be called normal by much circumstance. But what truly was…'normal'?

Back to the point. He was coming back. No more having to rely on text and low-resolution video calls. The idea of being able to just…hug him again was a deciding factor against her focus. As such, it took a good length longer than usual to get her files squared away. So much for getting a good night's sleep.

_No matter. Coffee would mitigate the exhaustion fairly well…or should I wait? Ask him out? No, no…that's not very subtle at all. But…_

She groaned irritably, reaching in to her dresser and pulling out some clothes that she's bought a while back. After throwing them on, she sat in front of a mirror and brushed her hair a bit. That was the part she was anxious about. The hair. Would he like it? He did mention that those little jumps she endeavored for were…'cute', according to him. Notwithstanding the word itself, it cheered her enough to be more comfortable with…everything. Closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply. This wasn't going to be easy. Unfortunately, this problem couldn't be solved with a cold glare or a flashed badge. This was a matter of love. Her stubbornness would pull through.

For maybe the fourth time that day, Souji pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket, idly flipping through recent emails. Oddly enough (and admittedly funny, too), he'd received an email from just about every member of the Investigation Team, barring Rise and Teddie; the former being busy with school an idol work (presumably), and the latter being…Teddie. The smile he felt on his face grew as he reread them all, barely noticing the train intercom calling out the next stop: Yasoinaba.

Dragging a tired hand down her face, Naoto closed her eyes and groaned softly.

_I should have taken his advice and slept earlier…_

Standing, she walked (or, according to her, dragged herself) to the nearby vending machine, fishing out some change to pay for a water bottle. Having taken her prize, she walked right back to the bench and plopped herself back down. Taking a small sip, Naoto sighed and rested her chin in her palm. The train came into the station with a screeching halt, grabbing her attention for the slightest moment before she looked down again. He would come to her this time. As she stifled a yawn, she set the bottle down and reached up to straighten her hair a bit, taking out her phone to browse the internet. She slowly picked up the bottle to take another mouthful when…

_Beep. _

Naoto felt her heart skip a beat as she chanced a look at her watch, silently hoping that her ears weren't deceiving her. On the digital face of the accessory, in green text, it read: _Distance: 10 m_

To her surprise, the number began to slowly count down. 9…8…7 meters. She swallowed her water nervously as she glanced around.

_6 meters…? That's close. That's…very clo-_

Naoto's vision fell on a figure that was walking towards, with a posture and gait that was all too familiar. Her mind flashed back to her years in high school, and all the times gone by that they would simply walk together around the floodplain and enjoy the air. The silver hair was a nice indicator that what she was seeing was indeed the real deal. Time slowed down as she faintly registering the water bottle falling out of her hand, landing with a muted thump as it spilled the clear liquid all over the floor. The young man stopped a few feet away from her, their twin watches giving off a final beep to confirm his presence. One hand rose to wave, and his face broke out into a happy grin. "Been a while. How've you been, Naoto?"

_Beep._

_Distance: 1 m_

Before her mind could register that it was indeed Souji, her body acted accordingly, and she quickly deciphered that she'd thrown herself into his chest as her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Despite numerous nightly drills, as soon as he returned the embrace with as much affection as he was given, she was soon on the verge of breaking down and crying. She didn't, though, choosing instead to laugh happily as Souji picked her up bridal-style and swung her around, laughing with her in his joy. He stopped after a few seconds to pull her close, nuzzling fondly against her as she smiled brightly, remarking quietly, "Missed you too, Princess."

One could say her lack of energy impaired her judgment regarding whether or not she should've tackled her boyfriend first. One could also say she didn't care. At that moment, the feeling was of simple serenity.

Naoto pulled his head to her with the arms she had thrown around his neck, kissing his cheek as she murmured softly. "Oh…welcome home…Souji-kun."

Souji set Naoto down and made sure she was steady before taking a step back, taking in her appearance with a soft smile. She was dressed, to his surprise, in casual clothes; black jeans, and a dark blue polo shirt that complemented her hair nicely. A familiar looking ring hung around her neck, reminding him of a certain day from the year of a certain case. He noted that her cap was absent, giving him a clear view of her gray eyes as she gazed dreamily at him. All these perks drifted by as he studied her hair. It was longer now, just about reaching the base of her neck, but its overall style still remained as it did two years ago. In his mind, it made a knockout combination. Souji gently touched her cheek, brushing some hair off her forehead as he fell into a kind of trance. Naoto simply smiled and reached up to hold his hand in place, nuzzling just a little bit against it. His cheeks reddened a bit, but his smile remained gentle. "…You look good."

"As do you. You look…good."

Naoto's mouth suddenly felt dry; Souji was more of a natural when it came to social fluency. Her hand clasped the watch on her hand, thumbing the face of it as she stumbled for words. She started a bit as Souji placed a gentle palm on her head, tousling gently as he tried to get her attention. "You're still wearing the ring, huh?"

"I haven't found a good reason not to."

Souji blushed as his natural smile widened the slightest fraction, obviously pleased by her simple reasoning. His eyes showed some concern however, and his hand moved to her cheek. "You look tired. Work sapping your time again?"

"I'm fine, just…a little tired, as you said."

An unconscious stroke of her cheek followed his answer. "Let me treat you to some coffee then."

"In that regard, I owe you one."

Souji gave her a coy smile as he adjusted the duffel back around his shoulder. "You can pay me back by letting me treat you."

And there it was. That poor sense of humor and logic that she knew so well.

"Lead on, _Senpai._"

Naoto simpered innocently as Souji looked back with an incredulous expression, the former shrugging as she said, "It had to be said."

"Right…"

[- 1: Catching Up -]

"Is black alright?"

Souji stifled a laugh as he asked, opening the cabinet where Naoto stored her coffee materials; there was a wide selection. Black coffee…everywhere. Taking out whatever materials he needed, Souji prepared her drink first, walking over to where she was poring over potential colleges. Setting the cup next to her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, fingers squeezing gently. As Naoto took the mug to take a sip, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, eliciting a soft yelp of surprise from her. Burying his face into her shoulder, his tone quavered a bit as he said, "…I missed you."

His demeanor was noted by Naoto, who set down her cup with one hand, reaching up with the other to clasp his elbow. "Are you okay?"

"You're here, aren't you? I'll manage."

Naoto relented with a simple, "If you say so", focusing her gaze back on one of the pamphlets decorating her desk. It was about a minute until Souji spoke again with, "I heard your stomach growl."

At that, her cheeks flared with a shade of red that looked fondly familiar. "I-I-I was distracted by your coming back today, s-so I…forgot to have breakfast."

"It's almost noon. Should I fix something for you?"

"…I would appreciate it."

"Alrighty then." He stepped back and tousled her hair. "I'll take a trip to Junes. You're missing some things I need to use."

"Take the spare key, if you'd like. I'll be here either way."

Naoto watched him wave over his shoulder, shutting the door to the apartment behind himself as he did.

It didn't take very long to get to Junes, but the problem was Souji's admittedly poor planning; only Naoto had known he'd be coming back _today. _Everyone else knew he was coming back _tomorrow. _So here he was, pressed against a shelf of groceries as he searched for an avenue of escape.

_I have to get to the cashier…_

Sneaking by as quickly as he could, Souji made his way to the fast checkout counter. A young cashier greeted him; he was clad in the regular Junes uniform, but a worn cap rested on his head. "Hey there, Souji-san-"

"Sh-sh-sh. Hi there, Takeda-san. I need to be out of here quick, so…would you mind?"

"Aaaah, I get it. Sure, sure. Tell you what, I'll pay for your stuff this time, but you owe me a few steak skewers."

"Done deal. I'll see you later. Give me a call when you're feeling hungry."

"Later, man."

A hop, skip, and a jump later, and Souji was back at Naoto's apartment. It had taken longer than he thought, but here he was nonetheless.

"Hey, Naoto! I was thinking, maybe I could tell you some stories about my city escapades while you-…"

He watched as Naoto had dozed off; she was quietly sleeping while she unconsciously listened to his stories. "…sleep. We'll save that story for another time. Maybe."

Souji smiled as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the now-slumbering detective. As he started off towards the door, he turned back to gaze at her. Walking swiftly back to her, he lifted her off the chair and carried her to the bedroom. As Souji laid Naoto in the bed, he pulled to covers up to her shoulders and brushed her hair back. Carefully sitting on the edge of the bedframe, he gently groomed her hair, as he had done so many times in the past when she was sleeping. Naoto seemed to unconsciously enjoy the attention, as she curled a bit closer to Souji's hand and smiled, mumbling in contentment.

"Senpai…"

Souji's eyes widened as he heard the title escape the girl's mouth, and he felt a sense of nostalgia…she had stopped calling him that a long while ago. Brushing her cheek with a reverent touch, he leaned down to kiss the place he had just touched. His face lingered near hers for a few long seconds, ending with him closing his eyes and kissing her cheek again. He slowly stood up straight as she curled into the blanket. Frowning slightly that he had to leave, Souji reluctantly turned towards the door, but not without looking back at her at least twice, before he committed to fishing out his spare key and taking his leave.

[- 1: Homecoming -]

Souji had just returned from a trip to Junes, but when he opened the door to the Dojima household, he was bathed in a swath of light, forcing him to cover his eyes with his arm. When he opened them, he cautiously looked around, but relaxed as he realized his surroundings were familiar. Smiling, he reclined in the chair he sat in and nodded politely to the two residents of the car that never stopped. Well…except for that time…

Taking a mock admonishing look, he spoke to the well-dressed man across from him. "Mr. Igor, I was looking forward to making dinner for my family."

"I humbly apologize, but matters beyond my own comprehension called for your return. Ah, but where are my manners…?" The strange man bowed his head politely as he grinned. "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"I would correct that, but I know how you're a stickler for formality."

"It's difficult to antagonize you, my boy. Please, make yourself at home."

Souji leaned forward in his seat as he smiled, but took a serious look and tone as he asked, "So, uh…what happened to the bag I was carrying?"

"Marie _gladly _took care of your errand for you."

"…Really?"

[- - -]

Marie stood at the door of the Dojima house in Souji's stead, scratching the back of her head in defeat as she gently knocked. In her hand were the groceries Souji mentioned. "I swear, that guy so owes me after this…oh, well. A favor it is, then."

Happy with her explanation, she smiled brightly at Nanako as the latter opened the door. "Hi there, Nanako-chan."

"Ah! It's Marie-chan!"

"Souji-kun sent me to drop off some food for you guys. Is that okay?"

"Yeah!" The little girl peeked around Marie to check whether Souji was around, but was slightly disappointed as she couldn't find him. "Did…did Big Bro not come with you?"

"Oh, er…he was caught up in some errands, and…y'know how he is with that kind of thing."

"I guess. Wanna play for a little while?"

Marie couldn't help but smile at Nanako as she bounced on her feet, and nodded slowly as she took her hand. "That sounds nice. After you, Nanako-chan."

[- - -]

"…Yes."

Igor's smile turned the smallest fraction of mischievous as Souji bowed his head to hide his laughter. Looking back up, he nodded politely to Igor, signaling him to reveal his intentions. "Anyway…I assume you didn't bring me here on a social call."

"True. Margaret, if you would."

The secretary nodded once, opening the Persona compendium to a page near the very end of its seemingly limitless archives, and the book slowly floated over to Souji, resting on his lap with a dull thud. A strange mural was etched into the parchment.

_It looks like some kind of deformed man. It's wearing a crown. _

…_Weird. And that's saying the absolute least._

"So what am I looking at here?"

"A calamity. One of proportions beyond that of gods."

"…Wouldn't be the first time."

"How shall I put this…? Your adversary this time around is but a god among us. One who's desire is the simple undoing of humanity."

"Sounds very cliché. What would you have me do, then?"

"I'm afraid that you and your kind are the only ones capable of defeating it. If you wish…then renew the contract, and I shall assist you however I can."

Igor snapped his fingers, a sharp ring through the otherwise undisturbed peace of the Velvet car. An ethereal parchment floated into view. "You need only touch the paper. If you refuse, then that is your choice as well. You will not remember this meeting."

Souji bowed his head and sighed in exasperation, muttering, "Such variety I have."

His finger reached up to jab the paper, and it burst into blue flames and disappeared.

Igor's trademark smile returned, and a floating grey card appeared in front of Souji as the man snapped his fingers again. "Crush the card, my boy, as you have done so many times before."

"…Right. As long as it doesn't explode…"

Igor's smile perked a bit as Souji reached out, hesitating a bit before firmly crushing the floating card. A soft flash of light warmly flared in Souji's hand, and he felt the ethereal material of the card slowly materialize into a shape he hadn't had to feel for a while. A simple katana lay in his hand now, still sheathed, but as he drew a fraction of the blade out, he noticed that strange runes adorned the base of the blade itself. "Those…'runes' have the power to unleash your own latent energy in the form of any element, and its power would only increase when amplified by a specific Persona."

Souji's mildly dissatisfied look caused Igor to snicker, as he remarked, "As such, its abilities are your own to discover."

Shrugging, he grinned lightly at the two residents of the velvet car. "Fancy. And here I was, thinking about having a peaceful vacation. Crazy notion, huh?"

Igor blinked and chuckled softly. "We all have roles to fill, no matter what time it may be. Go on, and end the strife such that you may return home."

Souji looked again to Igor and Margaret, who both nodded in unison, then he opened the car door and stepped out…straight into a fall that looked awfully familiar.

…_Well, that's different._

Biting back a shout of dismay, he clasped his sheath tightly with both hands and took a breath as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt his body jolt as he came to a sudden stop, but he felt no form of impact on the ground below him. Slowly opening one eye, he gasped as he found that he was staring at a mirror reflection of him through what seemed like a murky, yet strangely lucid, puddle.

He held his breath as his reflection stared back at him, but was caught off guard as the mirror's eyes flashed with a bright yellow and an arm shot out of the water to seize him and yank him in. Souji tumbled through the cloudy liquid as he fought for a stable position, still in shock from the sudden dimension change. Righting himself, he brought his still-sheathed sword to his hip and placed his hand on the hilt, ready to slash in whichever direction. Squinting, he tried to focus on whatever had pulled him in but failed to find anything that would have an arm…or limbs, for that matter.

_Damn…it doesn't look like there are any air pockets in here…ugh. I'm…running out of air._

Closing his eyes, Souji focused his energy into his arm and his eyes shot open as he drew his katana in a spinning slash. To his relief, his prison burst like a bubble, and he fell heavily in a heap as he dropped his katana and lay on his back to gasp for precious oxygen. Forcing himself to his feet, he grabbed his weapon and dashed some water out of his eyes, taking a stance as he cautiously looked around. As he realized his position, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Haha…ha. Oh, it's good to be home."

He was surrounded by shadows.

* * *

In the next chapter…

_A blue card appeared in his palm, slowly spinning as it gathered energy, but as Souji concentrated his mind on what attack he wanted to use, the card suddenly exploded into eerily flaming shards of glass. Numbly, he watched as one of the shards cut his arm, but he barely felt the pain, watching in shock as the shadows continued their relentless advance._

"_What…?"_


	3. Onslaught

**Hi…uh…so I have a new chapter for you all. Severe writer's block and finals does a number on my work, but…**

**Sorry. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

[- Chapter 2 -]

Souji slowly straightened up and held the sheathed katana out in front of him, placing one hand on the handle as he slowly drew the blade out. The mysterious runes flared with energy as he hooked the sheath onto his belt, and Souji grinned as he laced the weapon with electricity.

_So this is what Igor was talking about…_

Flipping the katana upside down and slamming the edge into the ground, he bowed his head as the crowd of shadows recoiled from the burst of lightning that emanated from the impact. Slowly looking, back up, his grin widened a bit. "Ready…Izanagi?"

A mob of Hableries gravitated a little too close, the first of many meeting the serrated edge of Izanagi's blade stabbing into it. Souji mimicked the attack, standing back to back with his Persona as black mist dissipated from the shadow. "You know, I have to say…I missed you, buddy."

The normally stoic Persona seemed to nod respectfully at him before turning his attention back to the approaching wave. "Right, right. We can catch up later."

The shadows seemed to dance and flow with the sheer amount of black tar that surrounded the two. "So…I take right, you take left?"

Izanagi seemed to grunt irritably, grabbing Souji's shoulder and nudging him to the left. Souji chuckled dryly, nodding once. "Alright, fine. _You_ take the right."

The Persona grunted again, this time in a tone of something approaching amusement. "Hmph. Glad you still have a sense of humor."

Izanagi teleported, a hail of shining slices raining down on the first approaching Hableries. He materialized a few meters away, standing tall as electricity coated a large portion of the floor. Souji responded in kind, dashing low to the ground and dragging the amped katana along, leaving glowing blue cracks in its wake. Swinging wide, the blade cut a large swath of the surroundings, rocky ground and shadow alike. A Gigas moved to crush him, but an uppercut threw it in the air.

"Not done!"

Souji brought the katana (and consequently, the Gigas as well) slamming back down, before cutting upwards again, followed up by another downwards slash. The momentum of the swing gave him some airtime, allowing him to bury the katana in the shadow's chest. His feet touched the ground again as it disintegrated. Standing and cracking his neck, he summoned Izanagi behind him and remarked dryly. "What say we turn up the heat?"

The shadows had refused to back down. If anything, there were more.

[- - -]

Naoto woke again, rubbing at her eyes roughly as she tried to focus on her surroundings. It would seem that she fell asleep at her work desk.

…_What…time is it? Wait…_

"Souji?"

Her sight wandered to a small, neatly-written note pasted on her fridge. Taking it down, she bit back a giggle at the ridiculous looking heart scrawled next to Souji's signature.

_ Morning, Sleeping Beauty. (it's not morning, I know)_

_I left a bento for you next to the fridge. Should still be warm if my guess is right._

_If you need me, I'll be at the Dojimas'. We'll have a lot of time to catch up later, anyway._

_ Love you!_

The note was ended with his signature, complete with aforementioned heart. Placing the note back on the door, she opened the bento; California Rolls.

_Hmm…he usually makes these when he's trying to impress me. Silly, silly._

She plucked a pair of chopsticks from a drawer and was in the middle of taking a bite before her doorbell rang. Sighing in exasperation, she gently put the bento down and padded to the door. "…Marie-san?!"

Naoto couldn't help but be startled as Marie stumbled in, grabbing the detective by the shoulders and squeezing weakly. "A-are you alright? Here, sit down-"

"Naoto-kun! I-…Have you seen Souji-kun?"

"No, I…haven't seen him. He said he was going to the Dojima house. W-what's wrong?"

Naoto managed to sit Marie down in one of the chairs, taking a knee in front of her. "Souji-kun, he's…he's in danger."

Marie hugged herself tightly, head bowed as she muttered something incoherent. Naoto swallowed nervously, trying to process how Souji was in danger, how Marie knew about it, and why she wasn't rushing into the TV at this very moment.

Wait…

"Marie-san."

Silence.

"Marie-san, is he in the TV world?"

Marie looked Naoto in the eye shamefully, before bowing her head and nodding once. "I felt it. Don't ask how, because I won't know how to answer. It's just…I can feel a discrepancy in the world there."

"A discrepancy…?"

Another nod. "Something's awake in there. I-I think he's trying to find out what it is."

Naoto took Marie's hand, trying to provide some comfort for the distressed deity. "Naoto-kun, you have to help him."

"…I know. Stay, um…stay here. Gather your strength."

Marie sighed in exhaustion while Naoto left to grab a shoulder holster from her dresser. Kicking open a small, heavy trunk, she snatched the Black Hole revolver and checked its cylinder before stuffing into the holster. She was about to dash out of her room before she stopped in her tracks, looking back at the trunk. "…No, no, no. Too dangerous."

Quickly shutting the trunk, she ran out of her room, grabbing her phone and throwing the shoulder holster on. "Marie-san?"

No response. It looked like Marie had fallen asleep, having migrated to the couch. "Alright then."

Naoto threw open her apartment door, turning the door's lock and closing it as she dialed Yosuke's number. _Pick up the phone, pick up the phone, pick up the-_

"_Naoto?"_

_Yes._

"Yosuke-san, you have to-"

"_The TV we used to explore is freaking out! I would say we should investigate when Souji gets here, but…I-I don't know."_

"…Souji-kun's here. He's-…he's in the TV."

"…_What?! Damn, I-…I, uh…I'll call the rest of the team. We have to get in there now!"_

"I'm on my way. I can pick up Chie-san as well."

"_Teddie's here. Kanji's not far off, so…ah, just get here. We'll make a plan together."_

Naoto didn't say anything more, jamming her phone back into her pocket and forcing herself to run faster. Thinking could wait. Right now, her mind was on Souji's safety.

_I swear if you die…don't. Just…don't die._

"Don't die. Please, just…don't."

Naoto's whispered plea went unheard to everyone but herself.

[- - -]

"Izanagi!"

Souji downed another Fuzz shadow with a kick, hopping back as Izanagi came crashing down spear-first. Using momentum, he spun and slashed in a wide arc, katana whistling violently through the air. A cloud of Papillon butterflies recoiled visibly from the threatening swing, but Souji was forced to dodge to the side as a Heartless Machine crushed the ground where he previously stood. He carved into one of its legs as he slid in between them, finding him footing to put all his strength into slicing the other. As the Machine fell to its knees, Souji called Izanagi again. The Persona grabbed the back of the shadow's head and forced his hand down, slamming its face hard enough into the ground to send cracks through the earth.

"Give me a boost!"

Izanagi nodded, slamming his spear into the Machine and holding a palm out. Souji set foot on it and ducked his head as Izanagi thrust upward, leaving Souji airborne for a precious few seconds. The Persona brought both palms slamming against the floor, forcing the shadows back and coating the splintered earth in glowing blue. Souji came gliding down, katana point crashing against the ground. Suddenly, the blue earth erupted into a torrent of crackling electricity. Izanagi warped out of view as Souji stood, but he coughed softly as he staggered a bit. An approaching Hablerie seemed to grin widely as he righted himself, holding his katana reversed with one arm ready to block.

"Of course you had to drop me off straight in the TV. Can't even let me see my little sister first."

Souji dodged the Hablerie's attack with a slight sidestep, using the motion's impetus to down it with a powerful axe kick. Turning, he brandished his katana at the crowd of shadows, leaving Izanagi to finish off the downed monster. "You couldn't even let me call Naoto?"

Lightning seemed to spring to his katana instantaneously, an equally fast swing sending an arcing slash towards the next wave. As such, the range of the slice was lengthened considerably. "Ohhh, they're gonna kill me. Whole team, I can see it now."

Three more slashes of arc lightning followed the first, Izanagi reinforcing the blows with heavy cleaves from his spear. "You heard me. They're going to kill me. Because _you monsters sure aren't!"_

Souji raised an arm, digital distortions seeming to coat it as he glowered irritably. When the air cleared, Izanagi was gone, but Souji's arm was clad in a black clawed gauntlet. Souji swung the claw, the air itself being torn by the raw power. "Ziodyne."

[- - -]

"Naoto-kun, wait!"

Naoto growled audibly as Chie and Yukiko grabbed her shoulder, effectively pulling her off the entrance television. "I have to get to him! You know that, we can't just-"

"We know! Just stop!"

Yosuke's tone forced Naoto's glare onto him, the former raising his hands pleadingly. "We're still getting ready. It won't be right if we go in there just to go from the saviors to the victims."

"Sensei can manage. But we still have to be ready for anything."

Naoto calmed down a bit, looking to Teddie in surprise. Chie and Yukiko let her go, confident that she wouldn't struggle anymore. "I…you're right. Just…don't take an hour. None of us know how long he was in there. Or how much longer he will be able to hold out."

Her tone turned bitter as she sat on the lowest rung of a merchandise rack and rubbed at her eyes, murmuring, "He's a human, just like us."

She reached into her holster's ammunition pouch, pulling a Chakra Ring out and placing it on her finger. The shadows would not get off easy today.

[- - -]

A flimsy attempt at a dodge sent Souji tumbling to the ground, katana lying a few feet away. He put a hand on his chest, coughing painfully at the strain of his aching muscles and Izanagi's physical pandemonium. Forcing himself to his knees, he gasped for respite as he dug into whatever reserves of energy he had. Although he had made it to his feet, he was still disarmed and in less-than-perfect form.

"Izanagi…!"

A blue card appeared in his palm, slowly spinning as it gathered energy, but as Souji concentrated his mind on what attack he wanted to use, the card suddenly exploded into eerily flaming shards of glass. Numbly, he watched as one of the shards cut his arm, but he barely felt the pain, watching in shock as the shadows continued their relentless advance.

"What…?"

Arms dropping to his sides, Souji fell to his knees once again, eyes half-closed from exhaustion.

_Damn…I'm drained._

A low growl interrupted his thoughts, his stomach turning as he looked up. A large wolf-like shadow was stalking towards him, wisps of dark smoke trailing off its body. The shadows seemed to cower as Souji forced himself to his feet, rooted to the spot as the wolf stared blankly. Suddenly, his world was thrown asunder as it tackled him to the ground. Putting all his strength into a kick was all Souji could do to get the beast off of him. As it raised its head to howl, a loud, sharp noise cut the air, and the wolf's head suddenly was thrown to the side by a high-powered bullet.

"Go, Yamato Sumeragi!"

The summoned Persona sliced clean through the wolf at a blinding speed, coming to a crouching halt right in front of Souji. She raised her head to gaze(?) at him before a radiant explosion eradicated the angry shadow. Souji watched in shock as she disappeared in a soft flash. Four more shots rained down, the magical rounds bouncing off of every which way to wreak havoc upon the masses of shadows.

"Souji-kun!"

"Souji-senpai!"

"Hey! Dumbass!"

Naoto made it to Souji first, rapidly exchanging rounds into the cylinder of her revolver and firing with uncanny accuracy. Taking a knee, she signaled Yosuke and Chie to take the right, with Rise providing battle support to Kanji and Yukiko. Teddie himself patrolled the outer rim of the battle, utilizing his strange gadgets to bamboozle the shadows.

Souji blinked blearily, still trying to process that Naoto was crouching in front of him. Her hand on his cheek seemed to snap him out of his trance, a long sigh escaping him as he fell forward slightly. Naoto caught him against her shoulder, hugging him with one hand as she watched the force of the Investigators hitting the shadows like a train. Her other hand calmly raised the revolver to pick off stragglers, but Souji could feel that she was trembling. "Naoto-…wh-…how did you know I was here?"

"Marie. Marie told me you were in danger, but…I thought you made a promise to us. To _me_."

Souji closed his eyes, arms limp at his sides as Naoto took a weak handful of his hair. "It wasn't entirely by choice. But…I knew. I-I'm sorry."

A shiver crawled up Souji's spine, and newfound adrenaline surged through his veins. Grabbing the back of Naoto's shirt, he pulled her against him and threw his hand out. "Watch out!"

Izanagi appeared for a split second, easily cleaving the shadow that was flying towards them. Souji shouted in pain as his arm throbbed from the strain of pushing the limit. He tried to catch himself on the same hand, but it buckled under him. Naoto placed her hand on his back, forcing some of her energy thorough her Persona into Souji, trying to provide some small relief to him. "Damn! I-I'm sorry, Souji-kun! Just…just stay down-"

Taking aim, she fired a round at the ground a few feet away, the bullet rebounding to hit another airborne shadow. "Naoto-kun! Kanji-kun is taking care of the last of them!"

By "taking care of", Yukiko obviously meant Kanji was utterly decimating the few shadows that dared to remain.

Souji was leaning slightly against Naoto, who had managed to get him to his feet. "We can explore later. For now we need to get Souji out of here. Kanji-kun…can you carry him to the entrance television? He's in no shape to move right now."

"Leave it to me. Come on, Senpai, up ya come."

Souji groaned softly as Kanji lifted him into a fireman's carry, easily bearing his weight as everyone started back to the studio. "Wait…there's something I need to- damn it…"

He gasped as he felt his consciousness threaten to slip away; the overuse of his electricity in conjunction with Izanagi wrought a heavy price from his energy. "Tch…At least…get my katana."

Yosuke held aloft the now-sheathed weapon where Souji could see it easily. "Way ahead of you, partner."

Teddie led the group into the entrance portal, casting more than one worried glance at Souji. He was looking almost feverish, sweating a little bit and breathing deep without attracting attention.

Naoto stayed behind for a few moments, reloading her revolver and glaring at one of the crippled shadows; the one Souji had defended her from. Pointing, a bullet slammed into the monster, effectively ending its existence.

"That's for daring to try and hurt him."

[- - -]

"Here. Take him into the employee lounge."

Naoto pointed Kanji to a nearby couch before turning to thank Yosuke. "I'll stay here with Souji-kun."

"..Er…alright, then. Just keep an eye on him. He can sleep as long as he needs to in here."

"Thank you. Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Yeah. The real world calls for my employ. Hah, I'll see ya later, Naoto-kun. Kanji!"

"Yeah! I got it, Yosuke-senpai."

Kanji gently deposited Souji on one of the many couches, following Yosuke out the door with a slight nod in Naoto's direction.

Naoto sat next to Souji's legs for a few seconds, dropping her gun and shoulder holster on the table. Standing, she paced, unaware that Souji was watching her through tired eyes.

"_Let's go our separate ways for now. Souji-kun needs to rest up, then we can meet and discuss…whatever just happened."_

"Easier said than done…"

Naoto sat back down, placing a gentle hand on Souji's knee as she sighed. "Are you awake?

"Mm…must have dozed off."

"…I was joking."

Souji coughed softly before he looked her in the eye. With a groan, he sat up as Naoto crouched in front of him. "Hey, you."

"You should rest."

"I know, but…I don't know, I just…want to investigate."

"Rest first. We can discuss the details after a little bit."

Weakly, he held a hand out to her, body swaying ever so slightly with exhaustion. Naoto felt no hesitation as she took it in her own, sitting in front of him and letting his head lean on her shoulder. Her arms snuck around to gently massage his back, easing tensed muscles and providing whatever warmth she could offer. Souji's breathing slowed, and she thought he was asleep until he murmured, "Your hair is pretty. Did I tell you that yet?"

Naoto laughed softly as she hugged him, murmuring with a hint of sarcasm, "You always find the right words for me, don't you."

He didn't hear her. He was already asleep.

[- - -]

The figure leaned easily on one of the entrance TV's scattered throughout the entrance studio, sighing in boredom as he watched the aftermath of the shadow assault. A sharp, merry laugh escaped him as he tapped one of the screens, watching the water-like droplets that reverberated on its surface.

"This is getting fun."

* * *

**Hi. So…here's a chapter. I would say when the next one will come out, but I'm not sure. Sorry. I do have other things in the works, so look forward to those, though.**

**Later!**


	4. Return

**It has been a **_**while**_** since I updated, longer than I realized. I am really sorry for that.**

**I promise the next chapter will be here faster.**

* * *

[- Chapter 3 -]

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Souji opened his eyes groggily, quickly sitting up from his spot on the couch and rubbing at his eyes. "I-It's not morning…"

Looking around, he recognized his surroundings as the Junes break room. Then…all the events of the prior few hours came flooding back. Admittedly, his muscles still ached and some coffee would be nice, but…

Naoto smiled, leaning over the back of the couch with a can of coffee in her hand. "Good, you truly are awake this time."

"…This time?"

She passed him the coffee, leaning on one arm as she explained. Souji took a few long pulls of the life-giving drink, silently thanking Naoto for her consideration. "You were mumbling in your sleep."

"Mhm."

Her gentle smile turned into a sly grin as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small tape recorder. "I must thank you for the excellent blackmail material."

"…Mm? Oh. Can I give it a listen?"

"No."

Souji pouted into his drink, mumbling something incoherent that she would probably laugh at had she heard it. Pocketing the recorder, she silently wondered about whether or not he would find out that the device was blank.

"You're zoning out, honey."

Naoto almost didn't hear what Souji said, but the title he attached onto the end of the sentence jolted her mind from her musings. It wasn't that he pointed out that she was daydreaming. It was more along the lines of being called that particular pet name. "Wh-…'honey'?"

Souji shrugged with a yawn, setting the coffee down on the couch's arm. "Whoops. Must be half-asleep, sorry."

…His smile, however, was completely unapologetic.

Naoto's expression hinted at a tiny smile, but it grew somewhat serious as she leaned on the couch again. "Shenanigans aside, how are you feeling?"

She bowed her head a bit; she just didn't have it in her to interrogate Souji right now, but there were some things she needed to know. "I was...worried about you. You looked quite feverish for a good while."

Souji ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the couch cushions and reaching up to take Naoto's hand in his own. "I'm feeling about as good as I look."

"I'd hazard an answer, but it would likely be biased towards something positive."

"Cute. I need to get the team together, have a meeting. All that fun business."

"I knew you'd say that. We agreed to meet back at the food court in an hour."

Souji patted the seat next to him, smiling as Naoto vaulted over the back of the couch to accept his offer. "…We haven't really been able to sit like this for a while."

His hand found its way around her waist, urging her to lean on his shoulder. The same arm rested around her shoulders, the hand coming up to brush her hair. "Did I apologize for the whole…TV fiasco?"

Naoto smiled to herself; his mannerisms had not exactly changed since then. "You did. Well…you did while you were practically unconscious, but i-it counts nonetheless."

"Hmm…"

"What is it?"

"I get the feeling that you're still upset with me."

"…I'm more relieved that we got to you before…before you were hurt."

Souji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, wrestling with his thoughts. There had to be some way that he could apologize, but how?

"Souji-kun?"

"H-huh? What is it?"

Her look softened, but her tone let him know that she had been trying to get his attention for a few times now. "You were zoning out again. I wanted to say that you don't have to worry about it."

"Well…I'm worrying."

"Why?"

"I'll explain when we get everyone together."

Souji sighed, leading Naoto to look at him quizzically. "If this is as bad as I think it is…it'll be pretty dangerous."

Naoto leaned away from him to give him a look. "You are _not _going where I think you're going with this, right?"

"No! I, uh…I don't think I am, at least. I just want to tell you that you don't have to fight if you don't-"

"Souji. It's dangerous."

"Y-…yeah. I-I said that."

"Exactly." Naoto smiled coyly, but her eyes hid a challenge. "That's why you need me to watch your back."

"…I get the feeling that you'll shadow me no matter what I say."

She leaned in close, dramatically clasping her hands over her heart and declaring, "You read me like a book. You're absolutely right."

Souji sighed again; he could tell Naoto was on a roll. The self-satisfied smile, the gestures, and the overall attitude of 'you can't stop me'. Any other day (…and maybe today), and this would've been adorable. Looking her in the eye, he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "You're sticking with me. No excuses."

She placed her hand over his own, her smile turning sincere as she reclined more into the couch. "And here I thought your over-protective side was over and done with."

Souji removed his hand and smiled, choosing instead to cross his legs lazily and recline against the couch cushions. As he closed his eyes, he remarked, "It comes with the territory."

Naoto simpered and fished her phone out, sending a group text as a reminder for the imminent meeting. Hearing the back door to the room slowly squeak open, she tapped Souji's shoulder and pointed in the general direction of the entrance. He looked at her motion long enough to nod. He appeared relaxed but Naoto could see his muscles tense in the most subtle manner.

"Sense~~i!"

A bear-shaped shadow loomed over the two, but Souji ducked to the side just in time as Teddie came flying over the back of the couch. The poor bear tumbled haplessly for a good few feet, coming to a stop just before a wall. It did not seem to deter him, as a blonde youth popped out of the suit and stuck a comical pose.

Naoto bit back a smile at Souji's bemused expression, snapping her fingers in front of his face to bring him back to earth. "Hi, Ted."

"You're finally up! Nao-chan was really worried about you; she tried to-"

"That's alright, Teddie. We, um…we don't need to tell him every little detail."

Souji looked confused again. "He didn't really explain much. What did you-"

"Nothing! Nothing."

He stared at her light blush for a second before relenting and looking back at Teddie. As soon as he did, however, Naoto shot Teddie a look that ensured his complete silence. The bear shuddered a bit but smiled anyway, committing whatever sense he had left with complying. "How long till the team gets here?"

"Yosuke-san texted back. They'll be here soon."

"Oh, goodie." Souji stood but looked down at himself with a grimace. "I…need a change of clothes."

"Over there. I brought your bag while you were sleeping." Naoto pointed to one of the unused lockers, tossing Souji the key. "Remember to thank Yosuke-san afterwards."

Souji let his fingers drift over her shoulder as he strode to the locker. "I should thank _you_ for being on top of everything related to my sustained health and well-being; thank you, dear."

Naoto felt her cheeks heat annoyingly at the pet name, muttering a response no one heard under her breath. "You're really different when he's here, huh?"

She glanced up at Teddie, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor and wearing an innocent expression. "Huh?"

"You were beary miserable when he left the first time, you know?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but closed it as she couldn't find the words for a response. He was right, although 'miserable' was a tad strong. "…I know. But now he's back to lead us into another ridiculous adventure. That seems like a nice homecoming gift, yes?"

The bear-boy grinned, nodding eagerly at the prospect of a new investigation. "It'll be fun, to say the bear minimum."

Naoto smiled slightly as Souji walked back into the room, now clad in a red t-shirt and simple jeans. "Better?"

"Much."

"We should go to the-"

"To the secret headquarters!"

Souji watched as Teddie dashed out of the room in elation, slowly shifting his sight to Naoto, who looked mildly amused. "Did you rile him up?"

"Hmm. _Do _we have a new situation on our hands?"

"I guess you could say that."

"…Simply replace 'situation' with 'adventure', and feed that to Teddie."

"So, he's riled up."

"Yes."

Souji smiled and offered an assist for her to get up, gesturing towards the door in a lazy attempt at chivalry. "I'm proud of you."

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly as she flicked his forehead in passing, eliciting a short laugh from him. "I'm sure you are. Let's go."

[- - -]

As soon as Souji had stepped out of the room, he had about two seconds of downtime before he was pulled into a fierce embrace by Rise, his only respite being Naoto's mildly miffed look. "Why did you worry us when we didn't even know you were here, Senpai?!"

"I, um…was preoccupied. C-can you not squeeze so much…?"

He breathed out a thanks to Kanji, who managed to easily peel the idol off him with a hand at her collar, motioning apologetically at Naoto. Her look simply said that _'you-so-owe-me-later'._

Making his way to a chair, he smiled respectfully at Chie and Yukiko, the former nodding with a friendly grin and the latter bowing. He stood up to embrace Kanji in a brotherly manner, patting Rise on the head from where he was. "Good to see you all again. Sorry about having to…rescue me yesterday."

"Yeah, you definitely cut into our busy schedules."

Yosuke leaned over the table to bump Souji's outstretched fist, plopping back into his chair with a grin. "Welcome back, partner."

"Sarcastic as always, Yosuke? Good to be back."

His friend nodded before crossing his hands over his chest in a business-like manner. "So…partner. I think you owe all of us an explanation."

"On account of us saving your-"

"I got it. I'll go over what I can."

Souji raised his hands in defense, hiding a grin at the look on their faces. "Calm down."

Resting his arms on the table, he looked like he was going to say something afterwards, but stopped, blinking in confusion. "Where, uh…where should I start?"

Naoto tapped his shoulder, handing him the coffee earlier; he accepted it with a thankful smile. "Let's begin from why you decided to enter the television."

"Right. Er…how should I put this…"

Souji was nonplussed; _Is there any point to talking about the Velvet Room…? _

…_It would be kind of weird to say a guy in a magical blue room told me we're all going to die._

"I…had a vision."

"Like an 'I see dead people' kind of thing or…?"

"No!...We have TV for that. Something is wrong with the TV world. I can't really explain it, but…"

"I get what you're saying…kinda, at least. I've never seen shadows attack in such large numbers since the P-1 Climax."

…_That works._

Souji nodded once, stroking his chin reflectively. Teddie, apparently, found some amusement in copying the motion. "Right. It's possible that these two events are connected, but…we really should investigate this further."

Naoto frowned slightly, noting how Souji was quick to latch on to the connection of past to present. Before she could try to question him, Kanji interjected, brandishing his heavy Perun Plate with an air of blatant eagerness. "What about the-"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get in there, Senpai!"

Souji pretended to consider, just as anxious to find what Igor was talking about. "The problem is just what we were talking about; the shadows aren't playing by the same rules."

"Well, it was kind of weird that we'd all just take turns. Like one of Yosuke's games."

Chie grinned as she punched the culprit's shoulder. "The ones that aren't meant for the general public."

Yosuke rubbed his shoulder, muttering under his breath, "Says you. General public, my-"

Souji smiled slightly at the submissive expression on his friend's face; Chie had him wrapped around her finger at this point. "In any case, we need to change tactics. Pragmatic combat seems to be the way to go."

Yukiko decided to speak up at that. "As long as we work as a team. That's what we all agreed on, wasn't it?"

Souji shifted nervously as he felt Naoto's gaze poking his back. He had a feeling there was a lecture in the future waiting for him. "For now, we'll bring some light equipment and basic supplies. Scouting is our priority for now. Rise?"

"I'll take care of it, Senpai. Leave it to me!…and Teddie."

"…Aww."

Souji looked from one member of the team to another, feeling a sense of pride well up within him at the reformed Investigation Team. "Are we all clear on the mission today?"

He was met with a unanimous nod.

[- - -]

Entering the TV normally had been as familiar as always, and the TV studio seemed unchanged from the original case. Souji brushed some imaginary dust off his sleeve, adjusting the katana on his belt.

"At least the entrance studio is relatively normal."

"Yeah…wait. What happened to all the stairways and paths?"

Souji looked around, puzzled, at Yosuke's observation. Only one path extended out from the strange mural painted on the floor, a set of double doors waiting at the end of it. Souji walked towards it with Naoto following close behind. He acknowledged her presence with a fond smile, brushing his knuckle against hers. "You okay?"

"Yes, just…nervous, I suppose."

"You know we'll manage. We always do."

"Yes, but we don't know what exactly we're managing. The shadows the other day were almost primal."

"Well, if I could take care of as many as I did, I think the big bad is quaking in his boots."

Placing a cautious palm on both the doors, Souji inhaled deeply as he pressed forward, taking the creaking sounds of protest as signs of progress. He felt a jolt on his arms as the doors stopped moving, something on the other side blocking their path. "Well, that's different."

"What?"

"Door's blocked."

Kanji scuffed his shoes on the ground and stepped forward, pushing Souji insistently out of the way. "I got this, Senpai."

"Kanji, shouldn't we-"

_BONG-_

Souji couldn't help but snicker to himself as Kanji was sent backwards in an awkward hopping pattern, clutching his pained foot in agony. Yukiko managed to sit him down and take a look at the injury, but she failed to discern why he was blushing suddenly. Yosuke looked towards Souji in asking, but a grin was still prevalent on his face. "You were saying, partner?"

"…O-oh, right. Um…I was just gonna say we do…this."

Souji placed a hand up, spinning a tarot card and having it disappear with a simple poke. "I'm trusting you, Magatsu-Izanagi."

The manic Persona flashed with a roar, smashing the door in with a single, brutal kick. It disappeared just as quickly, and Souji smiled wryly at the team, who were watching him with surprise. "Door's open."

Without a backwards look, he strode through the door, pulling his shirt over his face as he waved residual dust away. Yosuke followed with the rest of the group in tow, calling Takehaya Susano-o to terminate the dust. He stopped at where Souji had stopped, noting the disturbed look on his face. "Souji? What did you stop…for…"

The once beautiful hidden world was ruined; that was the first part. Souji felt a strange chill run down his spine as he recognized the twisted landscape in a way that was utterly disturbing. He could sense by the reactions of his comrades that they had a similar sense of…dread.

"What the hell…?"

They were in Inaba.

* * *

**Seriously, that "last updated" date was like a punch to the face…sorry, all. I'll flesh out my author notes in the next chapter, probably.**

**Till then!**


	5. Introductions

**Revelations and demonstrations aplenty in this chapter. **

**EDIT: Added a bit at the end. **

* * *

Souji walked over to the nearest building, placing a hesitant hand on the door. "Is that supposed to be the bookstore?"

He turned to nod once, pushing the door open and stepping inside. A sound from deeper inside the store led him to dig his feet into the ground, withdrawing his katana a bit with a push of his thumb. "Anyone there?"

Silence greeted him.

Exhaling quietly, Souji stepped back outside. "Nothing of note?"

"No. We should probably find a familiar landmark, get our bearings."

Rise piped up from under the visor of Kouzeon, not taking her focus off of scanning the corrupted landscape. "We could try the roof of the Yasogami building? Other than the Okina skyscrapers, that's our best bet."

"That works. Thanks, Rise."

Souji paused for a second before grimacing. "As long as it's not a labyrinth again…"

Yosuke elbowed him sportingly, wasting no time in joking at his expense. "What, did you have trouble finding the way up?"

Souji smiled, humor easily resting on the situation despite the circumstances. "I was giving you time to shine."

"Show me a shadow, I'll show you the spotlight."

Souji shrugged, folding his arms and scanning the street with a keen eye. "Speaking of that…I don't see anything at all. Rise, a-are you finding anything?"

"Nothing's showing up on my scans, Senpai. It's as if the TV world has gone dark."

Naoto came forward, offering her own ideas "We should tread carefully. Maybe we'll find some answers in the lay of the land."

"Or some shadows."

"I dunno, partner. Maybe your rampage made them keep their distance."

Souji rolled his eyes, leaning a relaxed arm on the handle of his sheathed katana. "It wasn't a rampage. If anything, it was an act of self-defense."

It was Naoto's turn to laugh, albeit quietly and to herself. "An act of self-defense that decimated a ridiculous number of shadows."

Souji scoffed, chuckling good-naturedly at her contribution. "You sound proud."

"Well, did you keep your energy in check?"

"…Yeah…?"

"I guess you're finally learning then."

"I was still pretty tuckered out-"

"Seems it's good that you two are together again, but I think we should get moving."

Souji looked questioningly at Chie, who deigned instead to point to the Yasogami building. A black beam was extending from the roof, dark clouds being strewn across the sky by its piercing of the heavens. "Oh. Good."

Adjusting his katana, he started walking briskly to the school. "Pillars of evil are never good. Let's get moving, double-time."

[- - -]

"Haa…haa…haa…"

"…Teddie, it was three flights of stairs."

"Need Junes snacks…"

"Um…Yosuke, do we have any food for him?"

"I have something. Maybe he and I should stay behind while he gets a second wind."

Souji turned to Naoto and Rise, intent on setting out a plan. "Naoto, can you stay behind with Rise?"

"I-"

He held up a hand to silence the irate sleuth. "Before you protest…I don't know what might be up there, and it could be a legitimate danger."

Naoto had relaxed, but was waiting with her arms folded. "Isn't that more of a reason why I should come with you?"

"It'd be better if we split into teams of four. The rooftop is small."

"And I have a gun."

"Yes, but you also have a staircase. And a radar who happens to be your best friend."

"So you're talking about a height advantage, an opportunity to set traps and…"

"And all those nice things that involve explosions and magical chemistry. Fun, right?"

"I-…" She paused for a second, torn between arguing or getting to work." "Fine. But watch your step when you come back."

Souji nodded and turned, but a hand on his arm pulled his attention back to her. What he didn't expect was a soft warmth against his cheek for the briefest moment, as well as the shy but insistent push towards the door as Naoto murmured, "And be careful."

Souji was speechless for a moment, but was pulled from a reply by Yosuke. "Aaaas much as I want you two loverbirds to catch up, do it on your own time and _go to the damn roof already!_"

Before he could protest, the roof door was thrown open and he was shoved through; Kanji, Chie, and Yukiko following with no shortage of amusement. Rise was pretending to scan the school (which she had finished a few minutes ago), but couldn't resist a playful jab. "So…I bet you're not so miserable now that you can do that again."

"…We're not having this discussion."

The humor was evident in the idol's tone as she continued. "But you look so happy, Ace Detective!"

"We can talk about this later."

"When's later?"

"When I have some coffee and Yosuke-san puts his phone away before I use it as an I.E.D."

[- - -]

Souji was still a bit red in the cheeks as he drew his katana. There was a figure sitting on the ground in front of the dark pillar, motionless as if it was meditating. Souji motioned for Kanji to come with him, pointing Chie to the nearby vent for cover and Yukiko to hide near the doorway. Approaching slowly, he fixed his two-handed grip on the katana's handle and readied himself for a possible attack. "You sure took your time."

The hidden menace in the air obliterated what little other emotion could have surfaced. Souji gripped his katana tighter and mustered his voice to ask, "Who are you?"

"Solid question. Understandable, given the circumstances."

The mysterious man stood, turning with a relaxed sharpness. "I have no name. I'm simply a proxy."

Souji took the silence to study the mysterious adversary. The man seemed normal enough, clad in a dark suit with a clean dress shirt. The most striking feature he had was his pale complexion and yellow eyes. Souji shifted nervously, unsettled by the resemblance to a person's shadow form. That, coupled with his how young the man seemed, drew some strange lines to the past investigations. The strangely tattered, hooded cloak the man wore made it difficult to determine anything else.

"I'm sorry, but I need you out of the way."

The proxy waved his hand, a gateway opening across the rooftop and sending the team tumbling down into who-knows-where. Souji managed to dodge closer to the source of the gate, now certain of the hostility. "Whatever you're up to, it ends now."

The young man grinned unnaturally, a spectral glaive appearing in his hand. "That's a riot. Get out of my way, or I'll kill you now."

Souji assumed his regular stance, holding the blade point down behind him and keeping his left side forward in a defensive brace. "You can try."

The proxy moved first, thrusting the polearm forward to impale Souji. He managed to deflect the blow, countering by stepping forward and forcing the opponent off balance. Turning the katana, he punched him with it and hopped back, leaving a trail of accurate slashes aimed towards his target. The proxy groaned irritably, then disappeared in a flash of white.

"_Weak._"

Souji gasped as he was struck in the back with a heavy blow, but instinct allowed him to turn and swing the katana in a blind downward arc. Shaking his head, he stepped back and crouched, twirling the katana to charge it. Lunging forward, he let electricity propel him forward towards the proxy. The attack supposedly hit home, but, when Souji looked up, he was shocked by what he saw.

"Bite, Ouroboros."

An onyx snake wrapped around Souji's katana, its tail clutched resolutely in its mouth. The proxy reached forward and firmly grabbed Souji's face with his hand. The latter tried to struggle, but the snake had coiled around his arm as well, constricting painfully with its scales. He growled in pain, but a new force grabbed his attention.

Pain settled on his mind like a vice, as if the proxy was sifting through his memories and finding what made him tick. "Interesting. Very interesting."

Lifting Souji up with an unsettling show of strength, the proxy held him over the gate and smiled cruelly. "Souji Seta. I look forward to getting to know you better."

Hefting back, the proxy hurled Souji into the gate. "_And breaking you."_

Time slowed, and Souji felt a familiar feeling bud in his heart. The familiarity ended as it seemed to force his chest to knot in pain. _A…a new social link? But, what? Who…_

A card formed in front of Souji, bearing the mark of a world on fire. The card compressed into a whitish-red ball of light that Souji was forced to absorb.

_A reverse of the World?_

…_Damn._

_But…that voice at the end. It sounded like…_

His thoughts were halted by his hard landing in unfamiliar territory.

[- 10 Minutes Earlier -]

Naoto was resting at the bottom of the stairway leading to the roof, checking her revolver for what felt like the sixth time. "Are you okay, Naoto-kun?"

She turned her gaze to Rise, who was sitting on the stair next to her. "Hm? Oh, yes. I'm fine."

The idol giggled slightly, nudging her friend with a friendly push. "I know that look. You're thinking of Souji-senpai again, aren't you?"

"He was acting strange. Something encouraged him to investigate, he told me before he fell unconscious earlier."

"I'm sure he has a good reason. He usually does!"

"…Hmm."

A white flash and the proxy appeared in front of the two. "Hi there."

Instead of attacking, he held up Souji's katana, sheathed and unscathed. "Your boy toy left this with me. Strange, huh?"

Tossing it to Naoto, he smiled at the dark look she gave him and spread his arms wide. "Whoa there. I didn't kill him. We had a nice talk."

He scratched the back of his head with faux sheepishness, his smiled turning sinister. "Then I, uh…threw him into a gateway to a possible life-threatening situation."

He did not get the opportunity to continue. A gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed into the wall next to the proxy's head, as he was now the target of the detective's ire. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. Like I said, possible situation."

Stepping back as Yosuke stepped forward, he stomped the ground, opening a wide fault with a similar looking gateway. "Tell you what. I need the school to myself, so I'll send you in his direction."

As they fell, Naoto let loose with a shout of anger and fired two more rounds at the proxy, who was getting further and further away with each second. As the bullets were about to strike true, a black snake circled around their target, deflecting them. "Gonna have to try harder. Bye now."

[- Now -]

Naoto landed and forced her momentum into a roll, groggily calling Yamato-Sumeragi to cushion the fall of her three other companions. Rise landed gracefully thanks to Kouzeon, Yosuke tried to land in a similar fashion and face-planted, and Teddie bounced clear out of sight.

_We're back in the shopping district…_

"Teddie!"

"I'm okay! I, um…found the others. I don't see Sensei though!"

"Rise-san, can you stay here and keep an eye on them? I need to find Souji-kun-"

"I can manage. I'll keep you updated through the link, just find Souji-senpai!"

Nodding, Naoto snatched up Souji's katana and hooked it onto the back of her shoulder holster, hastily replacing her revolver's cylinder as she scanned the new landscape.

_Alright, I should try and find a landmark, it'll help me find-_

"There, Izanagi!"

_Never mind. It sounds like he's near the gas station._

Turning the corner, she found Souji; he was dodging around a Gigas who was making every effort to crush him. Looking back for an instant, he smiled as he caught sight of Naoto. "Hey, there. Have I got a story for you!"

Izanagi appeared again, cleaving the shadow with his spear and forcing it back with a blast of lighting. It retaliated quickly, its fist whistling through the air at Souji. The silverette could scarcely call Izanagi as a shield before the heavy blow sent him to the ground.

Naoto called Yamato behind the shadow, distracting it with a hail of bullets. Her persona made short work of the already-injured monster, giving Naoto the time to rush to Souji's side.

He opened his eyes dazedly at the sound of her footsteps, smiling as she entered his field of view. His voice was a bit slurred from the impact and the mild pain from the fall was still lingering. "Ooh…hey there, beautiful."

"You pick the strangest times for naps."

"Mm. Would be better if you were down here with me, but the flooring leaves something to be desired."

"Mhm."

"Did you…happen to see my katana?"

Smiling, Naoto dangled the sheathed weapon in his line of sight, a few Soul Drops clutched in the same palm. "I figured you could use a pick-me-up."

"…You're awesome."

"You just noticed? Come, let's get you on your feet."

"We can't stay here a little longer?"

"I'm sorry, but no, not exactly. I trust you met our new…?"

Politely refusing her hand out of consideration, he stood up and accepted Naoto's supplies. "…Yeah. Can't wait to get my hands on him again."

Souji quickly popped one of the drops into his mouth, pocketing two more and hooking his sheathed katana back onto his belt. Reaching over, he wrapped an arm around Naoto's shoulder and pulled her close, half-hugging her as he kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

She blushed and nodded with a shy smile, but composed herself quickly as she reloaded and contacted Rise. "Rise-san, I've located Souji-kun."

"_Good job, Naoto-kun! We found Souji's party near Junes. Make your way over here soon!"_

"We'll be there."

Cutting the link, Naoto looked back to Souji. "Feeling better?"

"Good to go." He paused, looking her up and down with a small grin.

"…What?"

"You're adjusting pretty well to being back, huh?"

"I…suppose so? What are you getting at?"

"Nothing, nothing. Let's start heading out."

The two set off with a spirited pace, intent on getting to the corrupted Junes as soon as possible.

[- Junes -]

"There they are! Senpai!"

Souji gave a two finger salute as soon as the reunited team came into view, but was forced into a dodge by the mob of shadows that surfaced between his friends and him. Glancing at Naoto, he unsheathed his katana and twirled it once out of habit, lacing it with a weak layer of electricity. "Still a deadeye with the revolver, yeah?"

"Hmph. You must be trying to poke fun at me."

"A little. But I trust you."

"Mhm. Call out targets if you have them."

He nodded once, taking a second to study the opposition. A few Fuzz shadows, and two Giants were lumbering towards Kanji and Yukiko. One broke off from the pattern to harass Yosuke and Chie. Lesser shadows were being repelled by a spirited Teddie, who was gleefully laying a vast array of traps. Dashing forward, Souji slid and cut low, tripping up one of the Fuzz shadows and letting Naoto end it with a critical shot. "What do you say I take the big guy, you get the monkeys?"

A symphony of gunshots rang through the air as Naoto used her ultra trigger, effectively downing her targets and Souji's hopes for taking out the Giant. "Or we can work together."

Suddenly, a chilling roar cut the air, the ground quaking as if in fear of the new arrival. The Giants gave a slight, almost forlorn whimper before disintegrating into dust, the remains flowing in one direction. The team converged to the center of the Junes courtyard, Yukiko checking for injuries and Rise scanning the area for the source of the noise. Unsettled by the atmosphere, Souji tried to bring up morale. "You guys managing alright?"

"Sure. You definitely took your time, though."

"Lost my katana."

"More like you just plain got lost."

"Semantics."

"Guys, I'm reading something. To the north."

Loud footsteps echoed through the air, a gloomy fog descending around the party. The steps grew louder and louder, and Souji strained his eyes against the dense fog to see where they were coming from. Then, he saw.

A strange man clad in ebony, samurai-esque armor walked into view, dragging a long greatsword along the ground. It wore a blank, bleach-white mask, with the initial of one being the only detail. Oddly enough, the mask had no holes for eyes, no obvious way that would allow one to see out of such a thing in view. A thin trail a smoke emanated from the back of its head, the appendage in question cocking to the side almost questioningly. It repeated the pattern from one side to another, in a seemingly innocent manner.

Souji stepped forward, katana held low but at the ready. "Are…are you alright?"

The ebony being righted its head in a proper position, letting out an eerie, rattling sigh. Suddenly, it disappeared in a lazy cloud of blueish black fog. "Souji-kun, behind you!"

Souji turned just in time to see the blank visage of the new enemy staring him in the face. The telltale clang of metal against metal rang out as the fog thickened.

[- - -]

The proxy put his hood down, leaning against a vent on the Yasogami rooftop. Fishing into his pocket, he pulled out a small trinket, one that was shaped like a mask attached to a small sword. Crushing it easily, he let the dust float into the wind, smiling as he closed his eyes and rested his head back.

"Consider it a test, Seta. I still have much to learn about what makes you such a role model to your rag-tag group of friends."

Replacing his hood, he reached his arm out, unconsciously calling Ouroboros to wrap comfortably around his hand. "Time to go to work."

* * *

**And here we have the first proper 'boss' of the story. I hope the way it works comes together in a way that's interesting, but I suppose that remains to be seen. **

**Wish me luck. :)**


	6. Duplicity

**This chapter ended up being kinda long by my usual standards (almost double, wow). More fun for you, though, so…it works out for all of us. Also, it was a tad surprising that I managed to churn this out. Not even a week! **

**That's pretty good, so I hope I can keep it up. **

**By all means, don't let me stop you from reading. Enjoy.**

* * *

Souji blocked the overhead strike with his own weapon, using the hilt to force both to the ground. The shade did not seem to care, dropping its own weapon to grab Souji's collar, throwing him into the nearby wall. Before the victim could slide down from the impact, it had pinned him to the wall, black hands pressed to his throat. Souji tried to pry its grip off, shoving his hands against its mask. The act seemed to anger it, as it let loose another eerie sigh and wrenched its head away. Souji's rescue instead came in the form of his best friend, who sank his dual Malakh daggers into its sides. Before the shade could retaliate, Yosuke had cast Sukukaja and dashed back to Souji's katana, tossing it to his friend. The large sword warped back into the enemy's hand, and it reared back with a rattling shriek as it loomed over Yosuke.

The attack would never land, as Souji had impaled it from behind and ran forward, forcing it off his katana and towards Yosuke. "It's on you, Yosuke!"

"Got it!"

Yosuke began with a flurry of four slices, the consecutive cuts after that gradually getting faster as he settled into a rhythm. In an uncanny maneuver, the shade caught his arms and twitched its head in an emotion approaching irritation. A clawed hand fell on its shoulder as Izanagi ripped it away from Yosuke, winding back and slamming it head-first into the ground. The shade roared again, and the fog in the makeshift arena thickened. The strange weather seemed to put a depressing effect on the fight and the team's spirits alike. Souji tried to call Izanagi again, but to no avail. "It's jamming our persona!"

"Then beat the crap outta it!"

Souji once again found himself menaced by the angry shade.

"That's enough out of you-"

Charging his katana, he deflected its attempt to attack with an errant bolt of arc lightning. Slashing low, he cut its legs to force it to the ground, bringing his katana back and cleanly bisecting it with a brutal laceration.

Sheathing his katana, Souji planted his palms on his knees and tried to catch his breath. "And that's…the end of that."

"Senpai…I'm, um…it's not gone yet."

"What?"

The shade's halves fell to the floor; upon their impact, however, they separated completely and stood as two new beings. They both drew a greatsword and twitched their mask, in what seemed like a taunting manner. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

The shades looked at each other before glancing back at Souji, the first one winding its arm back and hacking the other in two. The pieces formed another two entities with identical features. "Oh, you-"

The new shades repeated the act until there were four, much to the annoyance of everyone present. "…Fantastic."

"Is it not going to split again?"

"…I don't think it can."

Souji turned to Naoto, bemused. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe it has some concept of pain? I imagine getting cut in half twice doesn't do wonders."

"Hmm. Let's get this over with then. Team?"

Twirling his katana, he readied himself for a mad dash. "Get them."

Souji clashed first with one of them, kicking another away with his leading foot. Forcing the shade's weapon down, he focused on another what was harassing Kanji. Stomping the back of its leg, he kicked its back to force it to the ground. "Kanji."

"Hey, Senpai. Thanks for that."

"Been doing okay these past few years."

"Oh, yeah. Been goin' great."

"What do you say we take care of our new friend here?"

The Investigation Team's resident tank and leader exchanged a quick fist bump, the former cracking his knuckles resolutely and grinning. "Sounds like a plan."

The shade stood and hissed, but to the trained eye it might have looked like the monster was worried about its new predicament.

[- - -]

Naoto and Chie had teamed up to battle another shade, the two easily working in tandem. The junior officer was pressuring it with swift kicks and easy dodges while the detective assailed it with precision rounds. A cry for help ripped their attention from the fight however, and Naoto was hit by the realization that one of her friends was in danger. Reloading, she called out to her partner.

"Chie-san! Go assist Yukiko-san, she can't use her magic here!"

Pausing hesitantly after delivering a spirited kick to where one would assume the shade's groin was, Chie looked to Naoto in surprise. "What about you?"

"I have a gun. Trust me, I can manage."

"…Alright then. Be careful!"

The detective nodded before returning her focus to her immediate target. A final kick throw the shade of its feet as Chie ran off. "Parting gift, Naoto-kun. Good luck!"

The shade stood and readied its blade with an emotion that was nearing bewilderment from both the surprise attack and the sudden lack of two opponents. Shrugging, Naoto smiled grimly and danced around their little arena. "It's the end of the act. Prepare."

[- - -]

Yukiko was having trouble. The jamming fog made it impossible to call upon her persona, and by extension her fire spells. As such, she was resorting to the basic martial arts that Chie taught her, but it was more limited to dodging the giant sword and landing a few hits where she hoped it would hurt.

"Death from above!"

Time seemed to slow down as Chie dive-kicked the shade, the impact sending it careening into a nearby wall. Hopping energetically in her regular stance, Chie grinned at her best friend. "You okay there, Yukiko?"

"Yes! Thank you, Chie."

"Let's work together, okay?"

"Do you plan to 'leave some footprints on his face'?"

"Oooh, you read my mind. Yeah, I'll do just that."

The two girls stood back to back, Yukiko brandishing her fan expertly and Chie bouncing eagerly from one foot to another. "Time to get fired up!"

[- - -]

Teddie was managing well enough, but his opponent seemed to have figured that he was doing his best to protect Rise, who was lacking a persona as well as a weapon to defend herself. His suit, however, was becoming harder to fight it as the fight dragged on. "Time for a trick!"

He leaned toward the shade in a taunting manner, waving one hand comically and using the other to wave a tiny puppet of himself. The shade took the bait, spinning its sword in a vertical tornado with the intention of completely shredding the annoying bear. The suit popped, blinding the attacker for a few seconds while Teddie resurfaced behind it. Two heavy claw strikes landed, ending the combo with him impaling its back and tossing it behind him. "Are you okay, Rise-chan?"

"Yeah, thanks…Teddie, look out!"

The bear-boy turned too late, as the shade loomed behind him. In a strange tactic, it mimicked his previous move, blowing him back in a dark explosion. It blinked forward and twitched its mask mockingly as he struggled to rise.

As it raised its sword to finish the distressed bear, a dagger sank itself in the back of its head. "Ted! The mask! Hit its mask!"

Yosuke jumped on the back of the shade and sank his remaining knife into its chest, tearing its torso to force its mask towards his friend. The bear readied his claw and forced it forward, striking true and ending the threat. Teddie sat back again, sighing and laying his claw on the ground. Glancing at his torn suit, he wiped some sweat off his face and frowned slightly. "Aww. I just patched that up."

Rise giggled a bit, sitting next to him and offering a handkerchief. "Sorry I couldn't help, Teddie. I should've brought something to fight with."

"That's okay, Rise-chan. You gave me the chance to defend one of our team's lovely ladies."

The flirty tone he took was not lost on Yosuke nor Rise, but the idol took in in stride, smiling fondly and fluffing his hair. "I know. Thank you, Teddie."

The blond blushed in surprise and happiness as Rise planted a light kiss on his cheek, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "U-um…yeah. Of course."

Yosuke sat next to the two, daggers freshly retrieved and hooked onto his belt. "Maybe we can get one of the employees to fix the suit. You _are _pretty much the Junes mascot anyway."

"Or I can. As an apology?"

Teddie was faced with a new conundrum, this one much more serious than the last. Were idols good at fixing outfits?

…Probably. "I…wouldn't mind letting Rise-chan fix it."

Rise smiled brightly, further encouraging him that he made the right decision. Hopefully.

[- - -]

Yukiko leaned away from a large swing from the shade, circled around to kick its feet from under it. As it fell, Chie sprinted forward and launched herself into a flying kick. The impact carried her onto the shade, and she surfed its body along the ground for a few seconds before punting it behind her. Yukiko took the opportunity to catch it in midair with the fan's bladed tips, shredding its back and leaving it stumbling. Chie finished it off with a flurry of kicks, each landing with an unpredictable tenacity. One final blow left it reeling as she squatted and stretched. "One, two…"

The martial artist launched herself forward, spinning in midair and thrusting her leading foot outward. "Ka-BOOM!"

The force of the kick caused the mask to practically explode, the shade's body flying into the distance. Righting herself, she strode confidently over to her thoroughly amused friend. Raising her fist, they bumped them lightly in a gesture the former taught the latter some time ago. "That was great, Yukiko! You're getting good at martial arts."

"I couldn't have done it without your help, Chie. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Come on, let's go check on the others."

[- - -]

Naoto was faring well enough, neatly dodging the shade's swings but struggling to find an opening to attack. Ducking a vertical slice, she kicked its shin and backpedaled a few steps, pinning it in place with a well-placed shot to both its knees. She circled around it as its mask tilted from side to side in consideration of its predicament, thinking about her own approach to subduing her enemy. _This is bad…I can't use my traps and there's no chance of me beating it in a direct fight…_

She could tell she was out of time to plan out a strategy when the shade sighed, slowly standing tall as it shook off the damage from the bullets to its legs. It walked slowly towards her, dragging its sword habitually along the ground. The shock came when it threw its sword with incredible strength straight at her. Naoto was forced to take her eyes of it to sidestep, giving it the time it needed to teleport forward and grab her head. She shouted in dismay as she tried to fire into it, but no amount of bullets could stop it from leaning back and dishing out a cruel head-butt.

Fighting through the pain, Naoto pistol-whipped its mask and emptied the rest of the cylinder's bullets into it. The mask splintered as the shade staggered back, the built-up damage finally taking its toll. As it collapsed and melted back into the ground, the fog seemed to lighten slightly.

"That works…ouch."

Naoto's ears still rang painfully as she stumbled to a nearby wall and planted her back to it, sliding down it and sitting wearily. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply through her nose, holstering her revolver and touching her forehead tenderly. She opened one eye to glance at the blood running down her fingers and gritted her teeth in irritation. Murmuring to no one in particular, she relaxed and hoped the last of the shades were being disposed of. "Should have been more careful..."

[- - -]

"Kanji!"

"On it, Senpai!"

The shade was stunned by a crushing Plate blow to the back of its mask, forced toward Souji with a rough punt. Souji responded in kind, slashing upwards to stop it in its path and introducing his foot to its mask. The momentum sent it back to Kanji, who lifted it above his head and smashed it into the ground. As it struggled to rise, a stomp from Souji kept it down. As it tried to rise again, Kanji sat on it, raising his Plate and bringing it crashing down, effectively putting it out of the picture for good.

Panting from the physical strain, Souji squatted and called out, "Tell me it's over…"

"No such luck, Senpai. Look."

The fragments from the broken masks swirled to the middle of the makeshift arena, pieces somehow fitting together into one splintered visage. The fog suffused into the air was absorbed into it, the swords scattered around pulled into the embrace of the new entity. It formed arms out of the fog, each one grasping a blade. The mask itself was held by nothing in particular, but a deathly hiss could be heard by all. The combined weight sunk the area where it stood into the ground, leaving a slope; a grim threshold that screamed "no going back".

Souji glanced around wearily, scanning the conditions of his friends. Yukiko was sitting next to Chie, Yosuke standing guard and all looking tired. Rise was tending to Teddie, who had shed his suit to try and cool off. Naoto was leaning against a wall with her head bowed, but she was breathing steadily. Even Kanji was looking gassed. Souji weighed his options, and said…

"You all stay back. I'm going in there alone."

"The hell? No way, Senpai-"

"Kanji. I need you to stay back and watch over everyone. Besides…" Souji gently shoved his friend, watching concernedly as he stumbled slightly. "…you don't have the energy to argue with me."

"But…I-"

"You're staying. Okay?"

"…Fine. But if you don't kick its ass, then…yeah."

"I got it. Thanks, Kanji."

Sheathing his katana, Souji hopped onto the slope and skidded down, ending his descent with a smooth roll. Stepping with one foot forward, he unsheathed his katana and pointed it forward, twirl-charging it and bringing it down to his side. The amalgam twitched in anger at the sight of its opponent, swinging its swords around experimentally. Calling on hidden reserves on strength, Souji crushed a card and called Izanagi. "Hey."

The persona nodded once in his regular greeting, resting his spear tip against the ground. "Sorry I took so long. There's the reason."

Izanagi did not even glance at the shade, instead heaving a great sigh and taking up his spear. "Okay, okay. You can go first."

They shared a look, the noble persona nodding respectfully before disappearing in a flash of light and reappearing above the shade, crashing down with a crushing slash. Raising his spear, he pinned the shade to the ground with a stab through its back.

Souji cast Sukukaja on himself and sheathed his katana, using the speed boost to practically teleport forward, slashing once and reappearing on the other side of the shade, sheathing his katana again. Dashing back, he sliced it again. He continued to dart around the shade, peppering it with slashes, until he felt the effect wearing off. Sliding back to where he started, he twirled his katana out of habit and sank back into his ready stance.

The shade seemed to be no worse for wear, but as it lumbered around the arena it seemed to be a bit more sluggish. What he didn't count on were the lightning fast slashes that rained down around him, forcing him to backpedal and deflect some blows. Its mask turned upside down, righting itself as it raised its swords, moving slowly forward as it swung all around, destroying the ground in its path. Souji couldn't help but grimace at the possible results of getting caught in the attack.

"Oookay. Time to focus."

Casting Mind Charge on himself, Souji wound his arm back and hurled his katana, the raw force sending it into a tornado spin. The inertia itself weaved electricity into the blade, essentially making it an oversized shuriken. Using the remaining focus, Souji utilized his footwork and dashed back, letting his katana do the rest. "Izanagi!"

His persona appeared again, cleaving the shade and zapping it with a quick cast of Ziodyne. The rain of unrelenting slashes, however, proved too much for even Izanagi's skilled parrying, taking a few cuts before disappearing. Souji doubled over in pain as he felt the effects himself, muttering, "Bad idea. Should keep my distance."

The katana wound its way back to him, easily cleaving off several of the shade's arms. Snatching it out of the air, Souji spun and counted on the stumbling shade to make its way into his path. Feeling the fog pressing down on him, he put all his strength into one last carve.

With perfect accuracy. The mask was cleaved cleanly in two.

Souji knew it was finally over when the effects of Victory Cry washed over him, breathing new life into his tired muscles. Bending down to pick up the halves of the mask, he pocketed them and made his way back up the slope. Yosuke rushed over as Kanji greeted him. "Wow. Good job, Souji."

"Mhm. Let's just go home for today. Everyone accounted for?"

"I didn't see Naoto."

A weight dropped on Souji's conscience as he remembered where Naoto was. "I know where she is. Round everyone up and get them to the studio, I'll be right back."

Yosuke nodded while Kanji set off towards Rise and Teddie, with Souji jogging in the direction of the wall Naoto was seated against.

"Naoto!"

"Over here."

Hearing the soft call, Souji turned and felt his throat tighten at Naoto sitting on the ground. Running over at a pace he felt wasn't nearly fast enough, he took a knee and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Hello, Souji-kun."

"W-what happened?"

"I made a mistake. You should see the other…shadow."

"We need to get you some first aid."

"I'm fine, it's healing already. Just, um…don't yell or do anything loud, please."

"…You still need some bandages, let's get you on your feet."

It was almost a habitual act that Souji would easily lift Naoto into his arms, but this time was an exception. Instead, he hefted her up and steadied her carefully, only stepping back when she shooed him off. Naoto took a second to take a breath, smiling as Souji tried to hide his worry. "I appreciate the concern, but there's no need to be a mother hen."

"Sorry. Can't help it. Here, lean on me."

The two eventually made their way to the rest of the group. Souji noted that Yukiko had cast a healing spell on them all, so they looked overall much better. As she came forward to help Naoto, she was waved off politely. "Please, I'm alright. Save your energy."

"But…Naoto-kun-"

"She'll be fine. I'll take care of her."

"…Okay, Souji-kun. But don't overexert yourself. You did most of the fighting."

The leader smiled kindly, motioning to the entrance television. "Thanks for the concern. Let's go home."

As the group of friends filed into the TV, the proxy stepped towards the studio, clutching a trinket that was quickly fading into a fine black dust. Reaching out, he touched the surface of the screen, glancing blankly between his fingers and the watery reverberations. "Congrats, kid. You passed."

Grinning, he turned, scattered the remains on the trinket to the wind and adjusted his cloak. Walking away, he quickly teleported somewhere. Anywhere for him was better than that dumb studio.

[- - -]

"Now, I know we should review what happened…"

Souji stifled a chuckle at the collective, tired groan that rose from the group before continuing. "…but we won't. Everyone take the day off, rest up. We'll meet here tomorrow, before noon. I'm buying lunch for everyone."

Yosuke took Chie's hand and led her to another table fishing out his wallet as he said his goodbyes. "Thanks Souji. I'll see you tomorrow. Today, though, I owe her a steak."

"It's not my fault you lost the bet, buddy."

"Yeah, yeah."

Rise waved goodbye as Teddie gathered his flattened, torn and battered suit. "I have some favors to take care of, so I'll see you guys later. It was cool seeing you fight again, Souji-senpai. Bye!"

"Bye, Sensei! Hopefully I'll have my suit ready for action before we go back in the TV."

"Later, you two. Don't overexert yourselves, okay?"

Turning to the two remaining members, he offered his hand to Kanji, who clutched it in a friendly handshake. "You gonna be okay, Senpai?"

"Just fine. Go on home and say hi to your mom for me, okay?"

"Sure thing. See ya tomorrow."

Naoto nodded curtly and turned to leave, intent on making her way home to quietly treat her wound.

A gentle hand on her shoulder quickly flattened those plans.

"Hooold on there."

"Um…did you need something, Souji-kun?"

"Not me, you. Have to get you patched up."

"…You're not taking me to the hospital, are you?"

"Nah."

"Then…wait, why do you have a first aid kit?"

"Like you said, it's already healing. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"B-but I'm fine, I told you already-"

[- 15 minutes later -]

"Oww…"

"Calm down, I'm almost done."

Souji was trying his hand at being a nurse for Naoto; trying, in this case, meaning that he was following a first aid handbook impeccably. So here they were, with Naoto now sporting a neat bandage on her wound.

"There. You've been a very good patient, detective."

"I'd thank you not to patronize me, doctor."

"Hey now. There's still one more thing unaccounted for."

"Like what?"

Souji kneeled in front of the chair Naoto was seating in, leaning in ever so slightly. The latter was puzzled by what the former meant, tucking some loose hair behind her ear. "Er…Souji-kun?"

"…Your shirt's ruined."

"Huh?"

He motioned to the large rip in the shoulder of her polo, smiling at the blush that flared across her face. "I-I must have missed that. The shadow must have torn it when it caught hold of me."

"…Let me buy you something new."

"What? No, there's no need, I can just go home and-…and…stop looking at me like that."

Souji rescinded the puppy-dog-eye protocol and instead smiled sweetly, earning a blush and causing Naoto to look away, complete with sideways glances. "My treat. Let me know when you're good to move, okay?"

"Forget that, we can go now."

He could practically hear the smile in her voice as she spoke. Offering his hand, he reacquainted himself with the softness of her skin as she took it, motioning with his other to lead on. He wouldn't say it, not out loud, but Souji was inwardly glowing at the lack of hesitation at the simple act of her accepting his hand so easily. "After you."

[- 10 minutes later -]

Yosuke was in the middle of buying Chie her habitual steak, but caught sight of something he had not seen for a good while. Walking over to the table she was seated out, he handed her the steak and sat down with a reminiscent smile. "You look pretty happy. What's up?"

"That."

His outstretched finger directed Chie to what he was talking about; Souji and Naoto in the clothing section of the store. The two seemed to be arguing over something inane, but they eventually stared each other down and broke out in laughter, Souji raising a hand to tousle her hair in his tried-and-true manner. Yosuke slipped his old orange headphones on and leaned back in his seat, balancing his feet on another empty chair. "Looks like Inaba's heart is finally back, huh?"

Chie put her utensils down and leaned on her hand as Yosuke borrowed her drink, smiling fondly at the playful argument taking place indoors. "…Yeah."

* * *

**I used the term of 'shade' rather than 'shadow' on purpose. To differentiate that they're of a higher class than the cannon fodder.**

**I've honestly been worried about getting the whole naming and nicknaming bits right because I don't remember exactly how they chatted amongst one another. Pretty sure I've been getting them generally accurate though. **

**The idea of teammates ping-ponging targets is really fun to me, so I used the buddy system liberally. I also hope the action isn't dreadfully boring, 'cause that would be…I dunno. I'll try and do better. **

**If you paid attention to some of the quotes, they are indeed from the original game's combat quotes or from Ultimax.**

**Anyhow…**

**Till next time, dear audience, this is Zanmat0!**


	7. Preparation

**Chapter for catching up the plot and showing some interaction in RPG style conversations. Basic fare, but I tried some humor. Enjoy.**

* * *

"So…that's the long and short of it."

Souji took a sip of his own tea as he watched the man scrutinizing him from across the little table. "So you're saying you want me to forge a collapsible staff and a…microphone?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Nothing's trouble for an artist like me. Stick around for an hour or so if you want the microphone. The staff and sheath lining'll take a little longer. Have to treat the metal right, y'know."

"That's fine. By all means, finish your tea first."

"Hah! Still as cheeky as ever."

The intergenerational duo grinned in a comradely manner, raising their cups and tapping them together in a friendly toast.

[- 45 minutes later -]

"Here. You can borrow this duffel bag."

"Oh. There's no need."

"I can tell, Mr. Stubborn, but you'll look pretty silly carrying that around town. Take it."

"Hm. If you insist."

"Did you want your old sword while I work with the new one? I've kept it in good condition since you brought it to me."

Souji shouldered the bag, accepting the neatly wrapped sword from Daidara. The elder crossed his arms and grinned proudly at the young man who had provided him with oodles of inspiration all those years back. "The cord'll do just fine as a harness if you want to carry it comfortably."

"That's great, thanks. Here, with some change."

He handed the artist-blacksmith a respectable wad of bills and waved goodbye. Daidara could trust Souji enough not to swindle him, and then some. As he turned to leave however… "How do you even afford this kind of gear?"

Looking back once, he smiled and shrugged. "Rich city boys spend their money on anything."

"Ha! Good one, kid. Come back anytime."

"I'll be sure to. Bye now."

Readjusting the strap on the bag, he tucked his old weapon on top of it and strode off towards Junes, hands tucked snugly in pockets. He walked a few feet before stopping at a light blue sparkle between the bookstore and Daidara's shop. Reaching into his hoodie pocket, he pulled out a small blue key. Instead of a door, he pressed it to his chest, around where his heart was. A soft blue glow emerged from the face on the base of the key, and a door appeared in front of him, but only him. Opening it quickly, he stepped inside and was taken to the car that never stops.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"Thank you. I have something to ask you about."

"By all means. What is it you wish to know?"

"Found this earlier. Figured you might be able to give me some answers?"

Souji reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out the fragments of the mask, carefully placing them on the small table in between the two. Igor's smile dipped when he saw the mask, surprising Souji. "Where did you find this?"

"A powerful shadow was wearing it. Combat ability far above the rest." He quickly supplied, anxious for answers.

"Ah…you fought not a shadow, but a shade."

"A shade?"

"Kings amongst shadows. As you say, their power is much more substantial."

"Why are they here? Why now?"

"The calamity I spoke of? They have awakened to bow to his power."

"…I get the feeling you're not talking about the proxy."

Igor blinked, his expression cracking into a small smile. "…Unfortunately, no. I am not."

"I can still get answers from him though, can't I?"

"I'm sure you can."

Souji brushed his hair back with one hand; this was starting to get ridiculous. Sighing, he smiled again and looked at Igor. "Thank you. Now, I'd like to reallocate my personas, and-"

"And I can provide you with another service of the Room."

"What kind?"

Igor motioned to the mask, his smile widening but his eyes holding a tinge of seriousness in his normally joyful expression. "It still holds a powerful force; that of the Magician Arcana."

"The Magician…Yosuke's."

"Indeed. The mask focuses on power, the power to manipulate the world around it. Your own magical ability should be amplified, and you will have a certain degree of clairvoyance when you use it."

Snapping his fingers, the mask halves floated in the air, glowing and coming together with a blue shine. As the light faded, the mask lay in front of Souji, spotless and forged anew.

"Fancy. I assume there's some adverse effects to it…seems too good to be true from a shadow king."

"The mask is reforged, but you must decide what you will do with its power. It can have effects that are…unfavorable."

"I'm guessing that's all you could glean off it?"

"I'm truly sorry."

Souji leaned back and drummed his fingers on his knees, his gaze betraying nothing as he stared at the mask. "That's okay. I guess I'll have to risk it if I need it."

The strange man bowed slightly, the natural grin returning as quickly as it left. "For it's worth, I hope it doesn't come to such an ordeal."

Souji smiled in response and picked up the mask, pocketing it once again. After perusing the persona compendium with Margaret for a time, he left for Inaba again, ready for his next excursion into the television.

[- - -]

"Oh, there you are. Want to see our new base of operations?"

Souji bobbed his head in greeting to Yosuke, voicing his agreement at the same time. "Sure. Your dad said we could use it?"

"It's been out of commission for a while, and my dad's real supportive of having one of the guys who kept the store afloat back in town. We can use it as long as we want."

"And no one really knows about it?"

"Those who do don't care. It's from when Junes was booming and we thought we needed the space. Honestly, I think it's better than leaving the place to collect dust."

"Can't argue there."

The two exchanged friendly banter as they navigated the staff room, opening a door that led to the storage room of Junes. "I used to come here every so often to just…play around. Might even be an arcade cabinet or two in there, but I assume we won't be using those a lot."

"Maybe when we find the time."

"There's a cot, too. Not sure any of us'll use it, but it's there."

"Sounds like a slice of heaven."

"Ha, ha. I think Naoto's doing some detective stuff, setting up an information board for our findings. It's something out of any crime show you've seen on TV."

"I get the feeling you think it's cool we have one."

"…A little bit."

The two arrived at a small bunker-like room at the far end of the storage section. Just like Junes itself the walls were garishly painted with vibrant colors. "Huh."

"Yeah. This is it. I think we should repaint later."

"…Yep…"

Yosuke opened the door first, leading Souji into a well-lit room filled with old equipment that Souji immediately recognized. An assortment of weapons fitted for each member of the team, some having been stripped of parts. A repurposed work table seemed to have been turned into a workbench, evidence of a certain detective lying about the surface. "I see Naoto's been tinkering again."

"Yeahhh…you should see what happened to her old revolvers."

"Did she keep the laser gun?"

"…I'll let her tell you. She's over there. We're all gearing up to head back in for today's search."

"Got it. I'll check with everyone before I get my stuff."

His friend nodded and wandered towards his little gear area, leaving Souji to look around. "Our own little command center. Hmm…"

"Oh. There you are, Souji-kun."

He spied his girlfriend messing around with her revolver at the far end of the room, close to the makeshift workbench. "Hi there. I see you've made yourself at home?"

"I moved some of my mechanical tools over, so I can upgrade my equipment while we prepare as a team."

"Alright. Don't have any reason to say no to better fighting force. You doing okay?"

"Yes. My, um…wound is almost healed, but there's a small scar now."

"Oh, really…"

Naoto glanced at him, smiling coyly at his tone. "What are you thinking of now?"

"Nothing. Just…thinking about stuff."

Shaking her head, she bit back a chuckle at the dreamy look in his eyes as he watched he fit a sight onto the rail on top of her revolver. "Well. Have to go check with everyone else."

"Don't trip over yourself."

Souji tousled her hair and started to walk away, smiling at Naoto's slight jest. However, something quite irregular caught his attention. It sounded strangely like the cocking of a heavy firearm. Doubling back, he walked over to where Naoto was arming herself. It was difficult for him to hold his surprise as she regarded him questioningly.

"…Is that a shotgun?"

"Yup."

"Kind of overkill, don't you think?"

"Hm. Not especially. That shadow yesterday was special. Its combat ability was a generous cut above the rest."

She finished fastening a sleeve for shotgun shells alongside her regular ammunition pouch, holstering the weapon itself along the hip opposite to her shooting hand. "Besides, it's not as if you haven't seen me use it before."

"Yeah. On me."

An amused smile crept onto her face as she shrugged innocently. "Desperate times. You're not exactly a weak target."

Souji idly played with a loose shell, smiling at nothing in particular. "Thanks. You're no pushover either, but I'm sure I've told you that."

"Multiple times. Usually in your silly attempts to flatter me."

"Whoa there. Don't act like you didn't fall for it. Sometimes, at least."

Her smile turned into a happy grin as she reached out to gently pinch Souji's cheek in a fond gesture. "It's cute when you try hard. So I relent."

Souji put the shell down, his expression turning a bit more serious. "Are you gonna be okay, though? Those things have some considerable kick. And, uh…you've fired them with one hand…"

Naoto glanced at the look on his face and felt a familiar fuzzy feeling at his genuine concern. "I know you enjoyed bandaging my hurts yesterday, but I wasn't aware you pursued it full-time."

He looked at her again and opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to protest. Instead, she smiled gently and cupped his cheek with a free hand. "I know what I'm doing. Thank you for your concern, but it really isn't necessary."

"…Okay."

"Trust me?"

"Oh, undoubtedly."

"Good. Are you ready to go?"

"I still have a few things to take care of. Be back later."

"Mhm."

Souji walked over to Rise, who was watching Teddie test out the freshly patched suit. "Hi there, Rise."

"Oh. Good morning, Senpai! Did you need something?"

"No, but…I get the impression that yesterday's still bothering you."

His observation was accurate. At his words, Rise shifted in irritation, crossing her arms and frowning slightly. "I don't like being helpless, Senpai. I tried to ask for a mic to use from the studio, but…I don't exactly have that kind of sway."

"Sorry to hear that. But, if you're really keen of helping out…then this if for you."

Souji reached into his duffel and pulled out his present; a telescopic baton elegantly grafted to a high-quality microphone. "You told me about how this was your favorite kind of mic when you sent me your CD's. The button on the baton should extend it comfortably."

Rise took the new weapon with an air of awe, inspecting it as Souji explained. "It's still small enough to fit in a bag or your pocket, so…that's about-"

"Thank you!"

As much as he should have expected it, he didn't. So here was Souji with an ecstatic idol happily embracing him. He awkwardly patted her back in returning the hug, but he still offered a quiet smile as she let him go. "How did you make something like this?"

"I didn't. Daidara forged it, so it should be made of some pretty solid material."

"Did he charge you? I-I can pay you back, I just-"

She trailed off as he raised a polite hand for silence, bringing it to rest on her shoulder. "You're not paying me back. We're all in this together, so I want you to be able to protect yourself. And I know you can. I trust you just as much as everyone else. We're a team."

A happy grin crossed the idol's face, and she nodded quickly at his warm smile. "Of course! Thanks, Souji-senpai!"

"Sure. Make sure you're ready to go, okay?"

"You got it! Thanks again, Senpai."

Nodding as he turned, he strode to where Chie and Yukiko were sitting and sharing some Junes court food. "Morning Yukiko, Chie. You both doing alright?"

"Yeah, just…thinking about what I can teach Yukiko in case something stops her magic. It's pretty dangerous for her, y'know?"

"I do. I'm working on a solution. The two of you watch those kung fu movies for practice, right?"

"Yes, but…what does that have to do with?"

"Basic CQC might not cut it. Especially with those things. How, um…how good are you with a staff? Or, you know, a baton or something?"

"Chie had me practice with one a few times, but nothing masterful."

"Hm…would you practice with me or Chie if I got you one? I think it'll be pretty good as a backup weapon."

"I'll do my best? I always did like using one."

"Good, good. I'll talk to you two later, yeah?"

"Sure. Thanks, Souji-kun. I wasn't sure how I could help her."

Offering a two finger salute, he spun on his heel and found Kanji polishing his Plate on one of the tables. "You doing okay, Kouhai?"

"The hell? Oh, hey there, Senpai. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Thanks for helping me out yesterday. When'd you learn that throw?"

"Wrestling. Seemed like fun, and Yosuke pointed me out to some old highlights. You a fan?"

"More of a book guy, but I respect the notion. Your equipment's all good?"

"All I need is this and maybe some animal crackers. We have those, though. I'll be bringing the supplies today, so let me know if you need somethin'."

"Will do. Holler if you need some new gear. And…keep it coming, huh? It was good teaming up again."

"Ha! Yeah! I'll kick ass with ya anytime."

They bumped knuckles as Souji walked over to his own piece of the room; a clean desk that was wide enough to fit a sword across. He placed his personal bundle on the table, taking care to unwrap the contents delicately. As each fold of cloth surrendered to his hand, he felt a sense of familiar might quicken his heartbeat. A smile made its way onto his face as he pushed off the last fold, taking a moment to take in what he was seeing.

The Blade of Totsuka lay proudly in front of him, as radiant as when he had retrieved the prize three years ago. Running a reverent palm along the flat of the blade, he admired the polished metal and felt the fine layer of oil that Daidara had provided in his care. Naoto made her presence known as she walked up behind him with an affectionate half-hug, smiling in amusement at his childish glee. "Daidara-san sent his regards?"

"Yeah…I didn't think he'd treat it with such care."

"Hmm. The look on your face tells me you can't wait to test it out."

"Your skills are sharp as ever, detective. This is incredible."

He happily put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair, his admiration for Daidara's work practically bubbling out of him. "This is gonna be good."

Taking the cord used to tie the wrapping together, he fastened it across his torso, adjusting the leather carrying fold to his back. Picking up the sword, he weighed it with his right hand and latched it onto his back. Lifting his hood so it fit neatly over the sturdy strap, he adjusted his sleeves and breathed deep. "Ohh, this is gonna be good."

His girlfriend stood a few feet away, leaning on the table with an expression that practically told all just how much of a handful her boyfriend could be. "You are such a dork."

"Don't act like you don't love it. Visiting a blacksmith to buy stuff every week tends to do that to people."

"…People meaning you."

"Yep."

Naoto let a snicker pass through as she took his arm and pulled him to the board she had set up. "Come, _Senpai. _Time to review what we know."

"But I wanna polish the blade-"

Her tone was nothing short of how an adult would patiently speak to a child. "You can polish you sharp stick later. This is important."

She called out in a voice loud enough to hear. "We're going to review the facts now! Would you all please gather around?"

The team congregated around the crime board, for lack of a better name, but left enough room for Souji and Naoto to point to select pictures with strings and lines all leading to a sketch of the proxy (courtesy of Naoto), with a large question mark next to his face. The detective adjusted her tie and fixed her collar in a business-like manner. "We don't have much that we can talk about, but it's a good idea to know what we've got as of now."

Souji took the ball, pointing at the sketch labeled 'Proxy'. "Here's the center of our little mystery. Like every cliché villain, he's mysterious and has some beef against the world. We'll find out more when we take him down, I hope."

Naoto took over at his nod, motioning to the shotgun at her side. "Combat is different. The shadows are more aggressive, agitated even. We'll need to stay light on our feet and aware of all threats. Most importantly, we need to work as a team."

"Strange as it sounds, yeah. That works best as evidenced by our tag team destruction of this…'shade', we'll call it…Any questions? No? Let's…finish up and get over to the TV."

Yosuke stood first from his seat on the floor, adjusting his daggers and nodding. "Good presentation. You lovebirds really are in sync sometimes."

"Jealous?"

"..Shut up."

The squad filed out of the room as Souji's phone began to chirp in his pocket. Fishing it out, he thumbed the green icon on the touchscreen and put it to his ear. "Hi, Uncle."

"_Ah, Souji. Good, you made it to Inaba."_

"Yeah. How's the Dojima family trip?"

"_Loud. Tiring. And I don't just mean Nanako. She misses you a lot. Been bothering me to go home ever since I told her."_

"Sorry. I'll make you guys a good dinner when you come back."

"_I'll be sure to bring you a gift. Oh, Nanako! Stop harassing the mascot! I gotta go, kid. See you soon."_

"Yep. Have fun."

Pocketing his phone again, he made his way to the entrance TV. Dinner and catching up with his dear sister would have to wait a little. For now, however, he had an old-new sword to mess and a girlfriend who knew how to use a shotgun. The day was opening very nicely.

* * *

**Action chapter coming up next. **

**Will Souji try to use the mysterious mask? Find out next time on Into the Fray: "Souji Uses the Mask".**

**Till next time!**


	8. Souji Uses the Mask

**Well, I did say the name of this chapter in the last one, so...guess I dug my own naming grave here. Oh well.**

**Seems my habit of publishing at almost midnight hasn't died off. Anyway, you can expect a lengthier chapter than usual, so that's nice, I hope. The proxy gets some more time in the story, so I tried making him a more appealing villain to bother reading about.**

**As always, I hope you enjoy. And thanks for reading.**

* * *

Souji's descent into the TV wasn't the problem; the gaping portal that swallowed him before he was even able to hit the floor was. He turned as he fell further, fighting back the sick feeling he felt as the portal closed behind him and as his fall sped up slightly. As the portal opened into a new destination, he cast Garu to slow his fall, landing quietly on his feet as he recognized where he was. The proxy was sitting in the dead center of the Yasogami rooftop, playing with some kind of trinket. "Ah. There you are."

He stood with minimal effort, speaking through exerting grunts. "Buddy. Pal. Ahem, sorry, I'm, uh…kinda tuckered out. This world is stubborn."

"What have you been doing?"

"Oh, the usual. I found something pretty damn interesting. This world? This town, really. You created it."

"…What?"

"Oh yeah. Your…heart, was it? It has a strong connection to whatever lies on the other side. Good job. Makes it more interesting to bust. Seriously…"

The proxy crushed the trinket in his hand and threw the dust that remained to the wind, ignoring Souji's look and the way the air fused with a thin veil of fog. In lieu of those, he shrugged and grinned.

"Is the world really worth it? Defending, I mean. Oppression everywhere! And the payoff is so boring, I have to say. I say…just end it all. Destroy it, pow, just like that."

The proxy raised a hand to Souji, and sang out in a disturbingly clear voice. "Let it die~, let it die~, let it die~. Y'know, like in those terrible Christmas songs? I-"

He stopped as Souji's blade grazed his chin, the silverette muttering, "I don't need to hear you sing about ending my home. I'm giving you a chance to surrender before anyone gets hurt.

"You know…have you really thought it through? What you're dragging your friends into here?"

The proxy chuckled gravelly, turning his back to Souji and spreading his arms wide. "Did you even think about how you're sending them to their inevitable deaths? How that would weigh on your conscience? I'm sure you're not that ignorant."

"…Who are you…really?"

"Aww, changing the subject? Fine, I'll back off. About your question…I can't exactly tell you."

He dropped his hood and looked straight at Souji, a broken grin forming on his face. "You see, I'm…kinda falling to pieces here. Apologies in advance for failing to keep up appearances…"

His face was a shadow of what Souji saw not two minutes ago, what parts that hadn't completely faded away were giving him a look of wear and severe tear. What stunned Souji, however, was what remained on the worse half of his face. "I'm not alive. If anything, I'm a phantom. A puppet. A proxy, if you will."

Black wisps wafted off of what used to be a relatively human face, a small slit that glowed a bright golden yellow mimicking what used to be an eye. "Hence the clever nickname. That good enough for ya?"

Souji lowered his blade, hesitation creeping into him as the proxy half-grinned. "Sorry, I must be freaking you out."

A black mask appeared over his face, visually identical to the shade masks save for its color and lack of number. "Better? I have a gift for you, too. A development of those…Social Links you love so much."

Souji shouted in pain as his mind was forced into a vice, falling to his knees as the proxy looked on with a smile.

_The World__ (?) – Rank 2_

The pain gave way to a strange buzzing in his ears as he collapsed on all fours, barely registering the proxy speaking to him. "Think on what I said earlier, yeah? It's a lot easier to just give up. Spend your days in blissful ignorance till the end…Have to go now, but I'll leave you a playmate. Toodles."

Souji found his way to his feet as a shape loomed over him, a bitter chuckle bubbling out of him as he looked up. "A gift, huh? That's just fantastic."

Magatsu Izanagi flashed behind him, a guttural growl emanating from the Persona as it spun its spear in a dangerous circle. "Get 'im."

[- - -]

"Souji-kun!"

Naoto waved her hand in front of her face uselessly in an attempt to see well. The fog had suddenly fallen upon…wherever she had landed. Activating a light on her tracker watch, she was grateful for the dim illumination but still longed for fresh air. "Anyone?"

She coughed a bit as the fog bore down on her, shaking a pressing dizziness out as she forced herself into a jog. _This fog's different…and it doesn't feel good to stay in. Have to find higher ground…_

Shouldering into the first door she saw clearly, she leaned against a wall and took a few deep breaths. Drawing her revolver, she brushed some of her hair back and rolled up her sleeves. "This is…"

She was in Yasogami.

[- - -]

"Crap."

Yosuke was not having a good day. Nor was Chie. Or Kanji. Or Yukiko.

…Rise and Teddie were doing just fine. Having an all-seeing visor and an all-smelling nose tend to do that. Unfortunately, that slapped them with the responsibility of using their respective abilities to project a clear view of a decent chunk of the land. The upside was visibility. The downside was that they were all forced to hunker down to keep their navigators in focus. "Any sign of Souji?"

"I told you, Yosuke-senpai. I can't sense anything through this fog. And…it's, um, taking a lot of my energy, so…"

"I got it, sorry. You're doing great, just hang in there."

"Mhm."

Yosuke sat back and sighed, idly twirling his daggers around two fingers like well-oiled gears as he slipped his headphones on. "…Crap. Where are you…"

Chie dropped down next to him, lying flat and crossing one leg over the other. "There's been no sign of Naoto-kun, either. Do you think she's okay?"

"Eh…she has a gun, she'll manage. And those two together are unstoppable. Only question is if they've been able to meet up."

"Here's hoping."

"Ah, young love. How utterly…sickening."

The proxy walked casually out of the fog, raising his hands placatingly as Yosuke jumped to his feet, instinctively pulling Chie behind him, Kanji gruffly mirroring the gesture. "'Sup."

"The hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing huge. Was just on my way actually, but…it's pretty here."

He snapped his fingers and mock bowed as the ground started to rumble, as if it was being stampeded. "Pretty boring, at least. So, being the hero that I am, I'm leaving you some friends."

Grinning, he backpedaled back into the shrouded air as Yosuke threw one of his daggers at him. He caught it and flicked it back to its owner easily. "Easy there. I just want to keep you guys busy while the two lovebirds fight my thralls. Bye now."

A basic Hablerie floated into view where the proxy used to be, ridiculous tongue lolling and all. Yosuke's shoulders drooped as he let Kanji obliterate it, standing back to back with Chie and sighing, "…Crap."

[- - -]

Naoto kicked open the door to the roof, intent on finding answers, preferable in the form of the proxy who was quickly topping her list of most-'disliked' people ever. What she found both relieved and terrified her. Souji was slumped against the wall, legs just barely holding him up and dust lightly dusting his clothes. A warm smile found a place on his face as he recognized her, however. "Souji-kun!"

"Naoto? Wait, duck-!"

Souji grabbed Naoto's arm and pulled her against him with his left hand, raising his sword hand to use Magatsu Izanagi to nullify the dark blast. Loose debris bounced off Souji's back and shoulders, but he ignored it in favor of keeping Naoto down in front of him. Releasing her when he was sure it was safe, he sent Izanagi to rend the shade before turning to face her again. "Where are the others? Did you get split up?"

"One; on the way. Two; no, I was supposed to be scouting ahead. Three. What happened to you?"

Souji opened his mouth to reply when she raised her gun past his arm and fired an augmented round at the shade without missing a beat. "I apologize. You were saying?"

"Ha, thanks. About your question, it's, uh…hard to explain. I landed somewhere other than the studio, so…I had to make do?"

Naoto sent Yamato Sumeragi to assist Magatsu, joining Souji in his endeavor to endure the physical strain in favor of talking. "That's all? I wa-…we were worried that you stumbled into another ordeal again."

"'Again'?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Souji crossed his arms and pouted as Naoto smiled easily, giving him the impression that he was off the hook but that she was still poking fun about his reckless escapades. "I'll make it up to you; we kinda have more pressing matters at hand."

"Oh. Right."

It was then that Naoto finally took a look at the new adversary, stepping back in shock at its appearance. The shade held a stark difference in appearance compared to the relative dignity of the first. It was a wretched combination of a proud soldier and a monster, with some kind of dress uniform visible alongside wisps of smoky black. What might have been cloth was waving behind it like a type of ruined cape. Its left hand was a vicious looking claw, cutting a strange contrast with its right arm, which was very…striking. The husk of a military tank was crudely strapped to its hand, the look being akin to a certain blaster made into a beastly rendition of its former self. Just like the 'I' shade, its mask was a creamy white, blank aside from the 'II' on the forehead. "It looks…"

"Yeah, right?"

"…incredible!"

"…Wait, what?"

"Do you see the _tank _on its arm? I can only imagine what kind of firepower it contains!"

Souji looked at his girlfriend incredulously, amazed despite himself that she was focused on something completely different; big guns. "Y-you know that tank's about to fire at us, right?"

Naoto nodded happily, drawing her revolver as a base form of offense. "Perfect. I can analyze what I want to salvage from it."

"Ohh, I forgot you can be as bad as me sometimes. Let's just take it down first, yeah?"

At Souji's remark, its head spun around to reveal another face; a savage visage that bore, instead of a clean mask, furious eyes and rows of sharp fangs. It roared angrily and spun its head back to the mask. It raised its tank arm and growled eerily as it prepared to fire. Souji caught on quickly and called Izanagi. The Persona sank its spear into its firing arm, punching it with his mailed gauntlet and stomping on the same arm with the blade on his foot. The shade retaliated with a backhanded claw swipe, catching Izanagi off guard and subsequently throwing Souji off balance.

Souji shook the stars out of his vision and called Izanagi off. Naoto shouldered past him and said, "Getting tuckered out already?"

Naoto dashed forward and lifted her leg in a wide sweeping kick, following it up with another and drawing her shotgun. Emptying its barrel into the shade's face, she quickly holstered it and switched to her revolver, firing two shots and a third blast that was augmented by Yamato. The regal Persona continued her assault with heavy, precise slashes from her sabre. Knocking the shade back with a hard kick, Naoto called her off and glanced back at Souji. Her effort was cut short as she was forced to dodge a blast from the tank arm, but it was also lunging at her; by the time she focused her vision on it, a clawed hand was inches away from her face.

Izanagi grabbed the arm that was gunning for her and raised the shade to his eye level. He seemed to glare through the slits in his mask before throwing it into the air and hurling his spear in a shining spiral of pain. "You okay?"

Souji ran up to her, blade ready and a frown set on his features. Naoto rolled up her sleeves and coughed from the dust kicked up from Izanagi's thrashing. "…O-oh. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Good. The thing seems to be relentless- watch out!"

Souji weaved back as a shell tore the air between them, throwing his sword at the offending attacker. The heavy metal pinned the shade to the ground neatly, but it was evident that it would rise soon. "…Maybe not the best time to check wounds."

"You're the only one with them, Souji-kun."

"…Ah. W-well, so far, at least, ri-"

The shade howled and reared its arms back, smashing the ground beneath it and firing tank slugs wildly. "It seems to be almost…feral. Nothing like the last one."

"Yea. With how hard it's chomping at the bit, it has to burn out."

"Watch for a pattern?"

"Watch for a pattern."

Souji called the original Izanagi to cleave the shade and retrieve his sword, doing both actions in a smooth, calculated maneuver. Swinging the weapon experimentally, he smiled in satisfaction and stood next to Naoto. "Getting a sense of déjà vu here."

"Usually we have more supplies than none at all. And someone who knows a healing spell or two. "

"I can do that last part, at least."

The shade switched faces and howled to the sky, lunging forward claw first. Souji reacted accordingly and weaved to the side and raising his sword, effectively redirecting the attacker's momentum up and over him.

Naoto blasted it further into the air with her shotgun, waving her hand in a militant gesture to call Yamato to cast Blight. The Persona stabbed the still-airborne shade before rapidly slicing it and carrying it further into the air. She disappeared just as Souji called Yoshitsune to slam it back into the ground. The shade melted into a black liquid, flowed fluidly a few yards away, and reformed. Souji narrowed his eyes warily, holding his sword across his torso defensively. "Well, that's different."

"Indeed…it's retreated to a good firing position. I'm not certain how effective my bullets would be."

"So its preference is to be away from us?"

"Yes."

"Guess we know what kind of fighter it is. We'll hold out till we get some assistance, then."

The earth shuddered wildly, forcing the couple's attention to the shade, which was furiously pounding the ground and peppering the scenery with tank blasts. Souji sprinted forward and low to the ground, ducking and weaving around the rounds fired at where he used to be. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the mask and eyed it as the shade leveled its tank arm at him. "Uh-oh."

Hastily slipping it on, he felt his mind lurch for a nanosecond before he felt himself moving forward even more quickly than before. His motion abruptly stopped as he heard a volley of gunfire exchange between Naoto and his adversary. Catching up mentally, Souji sliced the leg out from under the shade and ducked under it as it fell. Spinning around and cleaving the other leg, Souji leaped on its back as it struggled to rise. He faintly heard Naoto shouting out his in exasperation. "Souji! What do you think you're doing?!"

He paused his attack to throw a two-fingered salute, further baffling the onlooker. "Wingin' it! Bear with me!"

Souji felt the mask get warmer on his face, a buzzing heat ringing in his ears as he felt his body become empowered by unnatural power. He growled as the heat grew into a slight burn, his eyes glowing visibly from the slits in the mask. For an instant, the world slowed down, giving him valuable time to focus as he remained in his own personal time zone. In that beat, he raised his sword and turned it upside down, sinking it deep into the shade's neck and jumping over its shoulder. The force of his weight falling down dragged it with him as his feet landed heavily on the ground. He shouted triumphantly as he slammed its face down into the earth, rolling away and calling Izanagi to stomp it down again. Impaling the shade's leg with his blade, Souji felt his mind buzz and pulled the mask off, coughing as he tried to focus from the strange…intoxication he had felt.

With the shade momentarily pinned, Souji stumbled over to Naoto, who caught him with a hand on his shoulder and a gentle slap to his cheek. "Are you alright? Come on, you look dizzy."

"Oh, just fine. Peachy. Just gotta…sit for a minute."

Naoto massaged his back and eyed the shade who was doing the most docile activity possible; thrashing about and trying to fire its tank blaster. Souji leaned on her as he stood, striding over and stepping on the shade's mask as he pulled his blade free. Positioning the edge above its mask, he pressed forward firmly and forced the mask clean off. The other face remained, snarling and biting at Souji's foot vainly as he raised his weapon above his head. A clean swing was all it took to end what angry remains, and Souji took advantage of the respite to scoop the new mask off the floor.

Which was promptly snatched out of his hand by Naoto, who held it as far away from him as she could. Souji, to his credit, simply looked amused at her effort. "…I, uh…could use that."

"You kept the mask."

"What? Oh, the other one."

"Don't you realize how dangerous that could have been? What if you hadn't gotten a simple headache…?"

Naoto's grip faltered slightly as she regarded him, biting her lower lip as lowering her arms. "You're too reckless."

Souji took that opportunity to take her hand in his, his thumbs gently stroking her skin. He wisely kept his other hand away from the one she held the new mask with. "I…don't really know what to say. You're right."

Logically, at least. The masks were foreign to all of them, their powers even more unclear. _Igor was right about the side effects…best not to use 'em. At least…not for now. _

"Souji…?"

"You're right. They're dangerous. But…don't you still think we should take them with us? For further study at most, and trophies at the very least."

Naoto studied the look on his face, wearing her own tired expression from the wear and tear of the difficult battle. Finally, she sighed. "…We can take them with us. For now, however, I just…want to go home. The fog that coated the lower streets was…stifling."

The sound of shifting cloth behind them took the stage. Turning slowly, Souji subtly shielded Naoto with his body, holding Totsuka at the ready in an underhanded stance. Reaching forward, took hold of the tattered military jacket, one of the few remnants of the 'II' shade, and pulled it sharply.

"W-what the…?"

[- - -]

"Hm. Well, he's performing well enough. Good. And…the femme fatale made it, too. Also good."

The proxy watched as Yosuke directed an even assault towards the ever growing wave of shadows, smiling in amusement as the battle grew even more one-sided. "Well…bored now. Fog's gone, so the game-changer is…nil."

Reaching towards the sky, his open palm burst with a green flame, sending a wave of hot air through the town and emitting a high-pitched whistling noise. The shadows reacted very negatively, melting in retreat or outright bursting in death. The team, for the most part, looked bewildered, a reaction the sort of…puzzled the proxy. Cupping his hands next to his face, he shouted. "Hey! I know you want to run through the motions of having a team meeting, but I think you should probably go to my evil lair. Your commander and his lady friend just killed somethin' tough."

A shrug followed this. "Turns out you just need two of 'em."

He raised a hand to deflect the bomb that was chucked at him, redirecting it easily at the street. "…You're welcome?"

He disappeared before Yosuke could lob his dagger, so the teen turned to his almost-burned-out team, tiredly issuing the next order. "Much as I'd like to thrash him, we should get to Yasogami. Best chance we have of finding Souji and Naoto-kun."

Chie sidled close to him, leaning slightly on an arm he offered and nursing a bandaged bruise on her knee. "Then can we get back home for some R&amp;R?"

He grinned and nodded for the first time since they reentered the TV, letting her use his arm as support while they walked. "Yeah. Maybe you can extort some money from me for steak."

She chuckled too, and said with no real venom, "Shut up."

They staggered to the roof of Yasogami just as Souji dropped the military cloak numbly, truly astonished by what he was seeing. A girl lay amongst the remains of the savage military monster, long jet black hair covering her eyes. From what he could observe, however, there was also a mask she wore, adorned with a 'III'. Souji placed his sword back on his back and sat next to her, sympathy evident in his eyes. Yosuke shook his shoulder urgently as he approached, muttering loudly, "Souji, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

His arrival was lost on his as he held a hand up to stop him, murmuring, "Shh…you're scaring her."

Souji reached a hand out to the shade, frowning slightly as the she shrunk away. Some of the hair was moved from the motion and Souji was able to see that there was an eye slit in the mask she wore. As Souji met her blank gaze, he froze involuntarily. He started trembling as it stared at him, prompting Naoto to grab his arm and squeeze gently. "Souji-kun…what's wrong?"

He shook his head rapidly, taking her hand and whispering, "She's powerful, definitely a shade, but…she doesn't understand why. She's scared."

"Then…what are you planning to do?"

"Um…okay. Let me try something."

Souji reached out to her again, with the shade reacting this time with a tentative lean forward. The raw power emanating from it never faded, the pressure in the air forcing his hand down, but he was undeterred. As his fingers brushed her mask, his mind was flooded with knowledge, none of which he would remember later on. Visions of beginnings, endings, choices and such flowed, and all of it was unrelated.

When he came back to reality, the girl was gone, and in her place was a mask that stuck faintly to his hand. Turning it over experimentally, he brushed the back of his hand over the faded 'III' before pocketing it and standing. The fatigue was evident in his voice as he coughed from some dust and said hoarsely, "I…don't think we're gonna find anymore answers. Let's just get back to the entrance."

[- - -]

"So. That was fun, wasn't it?"

Yosuke's comment was greeted by a general groan that spoke to the contrary. Souji simply fell soundly on his bum on one of the couches, resting his head on the cushion after gingerly placing his sword on one of the tables behind him. Polishing could wait; they were all tired. Naoto sat down next to him and toed off her shoes, resting her head on his shoulder as she dropped her holster next to Souji's equipment. Her boyfriend sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and dusting it. "Long day."

"…Hm…"

"You can take a nap, but I'd take the coat off first."

"Hmph. It can wait."

"Oh?"

"…It's a shame, really. I wasn't able to salvage anything from the shade…"

"…About that. I, er…found something. Figured you'd like it."

Souji reached into his pants pocket and motioned for her to offer her hand with a gentle foot nudge. Waiting until she did, he dropped a heavy-ish object into her palm and closed his eyes to rest again. He opened them again when he heard a soft laugh from her. "You 'found' this, huh? Don't tell me that's why you were riding on its back for…?"

"Eh…I cannot confirm nor deny- oof."

She elbowed him playfully to silence him, so he simply smiled at the raw glee on her face as she examined the faintly glowing item, reaching forward to take her chin in his hands. Her laughter faded away as she smiled at him, a silent thank-you sparkling in her eyes. "…Kinda want to kiss you right about now."

Naoto's smile turned the slightest bit coy, but she put a hand on his chest regardless. "I wouldn't blame you. But…we're a tad dusty. May not have the profound effect you're looking for."

"Hmmm…true."

Souji's hand brushed some hair off her forehead and kissed that anyway, because he could and he wanted to let her know that they were taking a rain check. "I get the impression that wouldn't have stopped you."

He smiled and tousled her hair as he relaxed, shaking his head accordingly in agreement. "Nope."

* * *

**Kind of an abrupt ending, but it'll lead into the next chapter. Look forward to it? I hope?**

**All in all, uh…this was an update. So thanks again for reading this far.**

***salutes***

**Later.**


	9. Family

**This chapter's a long one compared to the others. I would've cut it up more, but I like it this way. Also, it seems to be a running trend that I release my stories around midnight. Says a lot about my work responsibility, I think.**

**Anyway! Enjoy!**

* * *

Souji walked down the shopping district street in silence as the sun slowly started to peek through the morning clouds. He had ordered the team to go home for the night after yesterday's prolonged battle, but, come morning, he had felt quite listless. So here he was, strolling through the town and intent on finding somewhere quiet to get down to business. Checking his surroundings and ducking into an alley near the bookstore, he fished the Contractor's Key out of his pocket and pressed it gently to his heart. A faintly shining blue door materialized in his view, and he swiftly pulled it open and stepped inside.

When he opened his eyes again, he was seated in a car, and he smiled towards its residents and he bowed his head politely.

"Igor. Margaret."

Souji smiled in pleasant surprise at the presence of someone he hadn't seen in a while. Waving lamely with a hand, he acknowledged her. "Marie- ow."

A receipt for steak skewers bounced harmlessly off his forehead as he was bombarded by anger condensed into words. "Don't you 'Marie' me! First thing you do when you get back is jump in the TV and worry all your friends to death! And you didn't even have the decency to say 'hi'!"

The resident deity and weather girl vented her anger in droves but didn't leave her seat as Souji raised his hands placatingly. Needless to say, his efforts did nothing to quell her ire.

"Er…no one knew I was coming-"

"Naoto-kun seemed to think differently! She said you were going to your uncle's house last she heard!"

"...About that- ow, how many receipts do you have?"

"That was the last one! Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

He bowed his head slightly, willing to go further to apologize to her but unable to while he was in the relatively cramped car. "I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll buy you some skewers later, okay?"

Marie huffed and collected the slips of paper as they rolled back to her, but he could faintly hear her mutter under her breath. "...'Mgladyou'reokaystupidjerk."

He smiled at her words, but leaned forward and put a hand to his ear. "Sorry, could you say that a little- ow."

"I said you're buying two."

Another rolled up piece of paper bounced off his head, but he snatched it out of the air as it fell and pocketed it. "Hey. I'm keeping this now."

He willfully ignored her crossing her arms and pouting, turning his attention back to Igor. "Sorry. We can catch up later."

"Ah? It is okay if you wish to speak with Marie further. We have...time, to say the least."

"Nah, it can wait-"

"Hey!"

"-until I pay her back."

"Oh."

"Anyway…"

Souji reached into his hoodie and pulled out the three new masks, all of them strung onto a large keyring through the numerals emblazoned on the foreheads. "I have some souvenirs. And some questions if you don't mind."

"Of course. Let me begin adjusting these for your use. Ask your questions meanwhile."

Igor raised his hand to the masks and had them levitate towards him in a neat figure. They glowed faintly with warm colors, and Souji found himself lost in the strange allure to the ritual.

"Right...o-okay. I've met the supposed cause of this whole ordeal. He's a riot. Anyway, I...I think he's established a Social Link with me. An inverse of the World."

Margaret leaned forward curiously, and inquired, "A...new Social Link?"

"Yes, I can feel it resonating with your soul...it's as if a dark flame is beginning to smolder inside you, but it hasn't fully developed."

"Is there any way to...I don't know, end it?"

"Whoever this person is, he has taken an interest in you. In what exactly, I do not know. His bond is yours, so there is no way to destroy the link so easily."

"Great…"

"On another note, your developement of this Social Link had given you access to new Personas. You need only fuse the necessary ones to access this power."

"Okay...and what's the name of the Persona I can use?"

"...Dahaka."

"...Huh. Well, that just sounds...peachy. Do I have registered Personas to fuse it?"

"Yes. Would you like me to begin?"

"That would be nice. Thank you."

Marie took out a small case from under her seat and drew a softly glowing card from it. Souji recognized at his old skill card collection. "You can use your cards to boost your new guy's ability. All your old cards should still be here."

"You kept them?"

"Well, yeah. It seemed...wrong to lose them after all that's happened."

Souji's eyes widened slightly at the sincerity in her tone, but he smiled and nodded nonetheless. "Thanks."

"The masks are finished. Use this."

Igor tossed Souji a small necklace; the adornment was of a small coin. One side was white and the other possessed marks, a total of three. "I have taken the liberty of compressing the masks into that. Simply decide on which one you wish to use and it will come forth."

"Sweet."

"The second mask is of the Chariot Arcana. In the case of the shade, it would mean an overwhelming degree of power….but the lack of control that accompanies it. The third...it would seem it is attuned to the Priestess...rampant wisdom. Be careful with these masks."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Souji slipped it on and fingered the coin, turning it over and looking carefully at both sides. Concentrating, he called the 'III' mask. The pure white visage formed in his palm in place of the coin, and he rapidly switched between his options before settling on the third. Grinning widely enough to make Igor proud, he set the mask down and nodded his thanks; a gesture Igor returned with a humble bow of his head.

"I have another question for you."

"Oh? By all means."

Souji gestured to the 'III' mask. "I didn't get that from a shade. At least…I don't think so. There was, ah…there was this girl, and…I don't know, she was different. Even through this mask, what I saw in her eyes…it was something else. Do you know anything?"

"A girl? I do not know of whom you speak. Perhaps…"

Souji raised his sight from the masks as Igor lapsed into a contemplative silence. "…Are you alright?"

"Do not show mercy to this girl you speak of. She…will kill you, if you let her."

That was interesting. Igor's face was frowning, a stark contrast to usual accommodating, if not a little creepy, grin. Souji collected the masks and blended them into the trinket he was shown. He tucked it into his pocket. "I know you're trying to help me…but it's my nature to help others. I have to try."

"…If you say you must, then…I cannot stop you. This is your journey, after all."

"I know this is selfish of me, but…" Souji awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he gestured lamely with his other hand. "…can I still rely on you for help?"

Igor's smile returned, but there was a gentle air about him as he spread his arms wide. "Of course. I am obligated by contract to assist you however I can. Margaret is here as well."

The mysterious secretary bowed slightly and allowed one of her rare, beautiful smiles to show. "I will be the one to maintain your powers, as well as keeping track of the Compendium. Come to me if you require a new Persona."

Souji grinned, tossing the trinket up and catching it rhythmically as he nodded approvingly. "Ha. Thanks…both of you."

"Good luck. I'll be here every so often if you need your cards. Otherwise, I'm at the news station on weekdays."

"Right...Mariko Kusumi."

Souji idly fished the paper he had pocketed out and uncrumpled it, reading it faintly as Marie's blush and objections to calling her that filled the backround. Wait...the receipt wasn't a receipt...

Curious, Souji began to read aloud. "...When the sun rises, my darkest-"

"Hey! Where'd you get that?!"

"You threw it at my face."

"Give that back, I- ow."

Souji smiled as she sheepishly picked the neatly folded ball of paper of the floor and nodded again to Igor and Margaret. "Thank you for all the help. I'll be taking my leave."

"Good luck. We will be here whenever you need us."

"Your new Persona has already been registered. Good luck."

Souji opened the car door and stepped out, closing his eyes at the flash of bright light that engulfed him. When he opened them again, he was back in the alley he'd previously ducked into. Sighing, he fondled the coin around his neck and tucked it into his shirt, walking out of the alley as he did so.

_Pi-pi-pi-pi-_

"Hello?"

"_Hey, kiddo. We just got back home from the trip if you have some free time. Uh...Nanako wants to talk."_

"Pass her the phone, if you don't mind."

"_...Big Bro! We're home!"_

"Yeah? I'll be coming over to visit soon, then."

"_Is anyone else coming?"_

"Hmm...Anyone in particular?"

_"Everyone!"_

"Haha, okay. I'll see what I can do. Can you put Uncle back on the line?"

"_Thanks, Big Bro!"_

"...So, Uncle-"

"_I understand we're about to have a party?"_

"Uh...yeah, seems so. I can cook."

"_Nah, you don't have to. Bought this big sushi set while we were away and I don't think the three of us can finish it. Invite whoever you want."_

"Ah, thanks-"

"_Just don't be doing anything with your girlfriend that Nanako shouldn't see."_

Souji blushed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, leaning on a wall as he said, "Dojima-san!"

"Ha! I'm just kidding. Mostly. See you whenever, okay? I'm gonna be unpacking."

"...Sure. See you then."

He dialed Yosuke next. "He~y, partner."

"_Souji? What's up?"_

"How long has it been since you met with Nanako and Dojima-san?"

"_Uh...a few weeks? They've been on vacation, you know?"_

"Yeah, about that...they just got back. I got a call from him a few minutes ago."

_"Oh, really? We should get everyone and-"_

"Throw them a party, yeah?"

"_Yeah! I can call everyone, just get over there and say hi for us, okay?"_

"Sure. I can pick up Naoto if she's up for it."

"_Makes it easier for me. Sure, see you then."_

"Yeah."

Souji shut his phone and dropped it in his pocket, whistling an upbeat tune as he walked to Naoto's apartment. He eventually lapsed into a contemplative silence as he looked at the coin dangling around his neck. He felt the gentle buzz of his new Persona in his chest; for now, it seemed harmless. Ignoring in favor of visiting his family, he started whistling again.

[- - -]

_Tap-tap-tap…_

Naoto looked up from her book and glanced at her watch. _Now who could be calling at this hour? _

…

_Oh, wait._

Walking to the door, she leaned casually against its frame and waited for another noise. "Tap tap tap."

She nodded judiciously as this happened once more, quietly unlocking the door and preparing to open it. "Tap tap-"

Before the third noise, she swung it open and found herself face-to-face with Souji, who had his hands in his pockets and his mouth halfway open. "...tap."

"...Why were you literally saying 'tap' instead of knocking like a half normal person?"

He shrugged his shoulders but kept his hands in his pockets. "That is an excellent question. I don't know."

"I think I'll chalk it up to your special sense of humor."

"Oh, thanks bunches."

Naoto let go of the door and leaned on it, but she smiled fondly at his antics. It was a sort of scenario she missed in the years he's been gone, and, despite his quirkiness, it was a change she appreciated a lot. "So. Why are your hands in your pockets?"

Souji whipped his hands out his pockets and waved them comically. "Ooga booga."

She watched slack-jawed as Souji continued his action for another good second, doing her best not to laugh but failing to deny him a grin. She failed her first objective a moment later as a titter escaped her lips, an act that eventually gave way to a warm laugh as Souji pocketed his hands and grinned, clearly proud of himself. A minute passed before she could speak clearly again, but her tone was higher from her amusement and a gentle chuckle would interrupt her every now and then. "Now, what- heheh -what are you doing here?"

"Other than bringing some spring cheer to your day, I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Dojima-san and Nanako just got home. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come along. Yosuke's already letting everyone else know."

"Oh? I'd be glad to. I haven't seen Nanako-chan in quite a while."

"Great. I can wait out here if you want to get ready?"

"There's a chill in the air. Come in, I can give you something warm while you wait."

"Thank you."

Souji followed her in and shut the door at her request, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he felt the warmth of her apartment's heater on his face. Some things never changed. The temperature here was one of them. "Are you alright?"

"Just taking it all in. I like it here."

She smiled at his honest appreciation of something so simple. "Well, take a seat. I'll leave some tea on the kitchen counter for you."

"Thanks."

Souji slowly took a seat in her living room, pulling out his phone and browsing his emails. Skimming over one about Tanaka deals and deleting one that looked like spam, he found one about news in Inaba weather. Clear skies but a slow drop in temperature was something to look forward to. "Great...love the cold."

"I won't be long, Souji-kun!"

"Okay!" He called back in response to her update and went back to scanning anything that might have interested him. He stood and picked up the warm cup she had left in the kitchen and took a sip before taking it with him and sitting again.

[- - -]

"Sorry, did I take long?"

"No, no, I- oh."

Naoto was dressed with, once again, a stark contrast to her usual, more business-oriented wardrobe; she was clad in a long sleeved blue sweater with a clean white t-shirt underneath it. Other than that, she was wearing a pair of tan slacks and white socks. She blushed at his attention and shuffled in place nervously. "I-I'm sorry, you were saying…?"

Her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance, and he chuckled sheepishly while saying, "Sorry, I, er...was saying you didn't take long, that's all…"

A silence fell between the two as Souji scratched his head. "Huh...this is just like our first date."

She laughed awkwardly at that, nodding her agreement as she headed to the door to grab her shoes. "Heh...it's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Well...shall we?"

Souji stood from his seat and followed Naoto to the door but stopped as she looked back at him and smiled with her hand on the doorknob. There was something genuinely fascinating about the way she would smile sometimes.

"Souji-kun?"

He came forward slightly and took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to look his in the eye. She found that his hand was still quite warm, despite the cold weather. Unable and not necessarily wanting to do much else, she smiled nervously as his eyes narrowed slightly. Leaning down a bit, he pressed his lips to hers gently, releasing her a moment later. He blushed softly and murmured, "Sorry. It's just...it's been awhile."

She nodded slowly, took his hands in hers and inched closer to him. "It has...hasn't it?"

Naoto kissed him this time, standing a bit taller on her toes to make it easier. He responded in kind, clasping his hands at her lower back and pulling her snugly against him. The contact ended almost as quickly as it began, and there was some embarrassment on both sides, but they also wore happy smiles present on both of their faces. Souji muttered quietly the words that were hanging in the air. "We...should get going."

"Ah. Yes, we should."

She opened the door, completely this time, and they both exited the apartment.

[- - -]

"Huh...we're early."

"It would seem so. You said they were home already?"

"Yeah. Dojima said he'd be unpacking."

"Should we knock, or…?"

"Yep."

Souji gently tapped the wall next to the front door, knowing by experience and a certain former freshman that it was probably a better idea not to knock on the door. The door opened slowly, but the person opening it sped up when they saw the two standing outside. "Big Bro!"

A big smile showed on Souji's face as he knelt down and spread his arms wide for the little girl grinning at him from the doorway. "Nanako...ha! Come here!"

She complied all too willingly, almost leaping into her brother's arms and hugging him tight around the neck. Souji stood and held her tight against him as she laughed joyously. When she opened her eyes, she beamed from ear to ear at Naoto, who waved slightly as she watched the reunion with a fond smile. The detective reached out and took her hand when she offered it, her smile becoming warmer at the happiness in the air. "Ah. There you are. And you brought the missus."

Naoto mentally congratulated herself for not blushing in front of Dojima as he leaned on the door frame, nodding to Souji as he waved to Naoto. She waved his statement off and slipped her other hand into a pocket. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"Oh yeah. Just tired, thanks to the little hurricane here."

Souji stood with Nanako sitting atop his shoulders, a grin present on both their faces. "Yeah? Must've been fun."

"It was! We went to so many places- and we found a place to repair Mom's old piano!"

"Ah, that one. Good to hear."

"Yeah, this is all well and good, but don't you two want to come in? 'S cold out there."

"Good point. Don't want Nanako catching a cold just as she gets home."

Naoto went in first, followed by Souji, who was forced to duck to keep Nanako's face safe. "Alright, watch your head, okay?"

"Okay."

Dojima watched with a small smile as they all filed in before shutting the door. "So! Who else is showing up?"

Souji deposited Nanako on her cushion and moved to his own, nodding to Naoto as she sat carefully on the one that had been designated for her beforehand. "Uh…everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone."

"Oh boy. Even the bear-boy-"

"Teddie!"

"…Even Teddie?"

Souji nodded solemnly as Naoto chuckled as Dojima somehow managed to look even more exhausted, but the shine of humor in his eyes let them all know that he wasn't down for the count yet. "Even Teddie."

"Haa…should've got two of the sushi sets then."

Honest laughter filled the air at the bear's expense as someone else knocked on the door. "Ah. Looks like the rest of the party's here."

[- - -]

"Does everyone have a drink?"

A chorus of yes, yeah, and sure echoed throughout the small living room, the Dojima family and the Investigation Team sitting comfortably wherever they could find a seat. Souji sat back down next to Naoto and smiled as Nanako started drinking her juice rather heartily. "Alright. Well then, I propose a toast."

He raised his cup, the personal mug that had been gifted to him years ago, among the mass of paper cups and other family mugs that slowly joined him. "We're all here, and we're all home. I'd say that's valuable in and of itself. So…cheers."

"Cheers!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Let's make this last!"

Soft clinking noises suffused through the room as everyone tapped their assorted cups and mugs with gusto. With that, the makeshift party began with earnest, each person having served themselves from the veritable box of sushi that Dojima had bought. Silence was nonexistent as everyone chatted with someone else eagerly. "Haha, Teddie, slow down, you'll choke!"

"B-but ish sho good!"

"Huh?"

The blonde paused to swallow and repeated what he said before promptly shoveling more nigiri into his mouth. Rise, understandably, was exasperated as she ate at a pace that was much, much closer to normal. "I said it's delicious!"

The idol leaned over to gently elbow Naoto, who had just put down her cup of tea with a satisfied sigh. Naoto smiled warmly at her friend as she offered more drink.

"So, Naoto-kun. Are you happy now that Souji's back?"

"Well, yes. Despite the new…situation, it's very good to have him home."

"Oh, good. So…" She leaned over to nudge her twice and whisper conspiratorially, "Have you made a move on him yet?"

Naoto did well not to spit out her tea as she was caught by the unexpected question mid-sip, but she had to cough softly and a small hiccup escaped her before she took a breath and answered, "…W-what kind of question is that?"

"Oh, you silly detective, you. It's just like one of those noir romance novels! The man returns after so long and they're both happy, and then they-"

She was silenced by a gentle poke to the forehead as Naoto muttered, "I don't know what noir novel that came from, but we're not like that. Nothing significant has happened."

Rise was momentarily quelled, but bounced back easily with, "…Did _anything_ happen?"

"You're not going to let this go very easily…right?"

"Nope."

Naoto sighed and ran a hand through her hair, taking another sip of tea as Rise helped herself to more sushi. "Well…when I met him at the train station, w-we hugged for a minute or so."

"That's so sweet! What else, there's gotta be something!"

"Er…other than that, we just…hold hands? Sometimes there's c-cuddling, but nothing particularly scandalous."

"You haven't had the reunion kiss yet?"

"I don't want to know what your definition of that is. Besides, that's all you're getting out of me."

Naoto managed to harden her stance against Rise's inquiries, much to her dismay. "Why don't you wanna tell me?"

"I'm not the type of person to kiss and tell. I thought you knew, Rise-san."

"Yeah, but…this is a special occasion! And I told you, it's '-chan'. We're friends, aren't we?"

"…Yes."

"The best! Now, about your kissing and telling bit…"

"You must be kidding."

Souji set his cup and plate to the side and sighed softly, planting his hands on the floor and resting his shoulders. Yosuke grinned and nudged his friend, his orange headphones dangling safely around his neck as they always did. "So, how's college back in the city?"

"Loud. Lots of traffic. Made a few friends though, so that's alright."

"Hmm…I still haven't figured out where to apply."

"I have some brochures I can show you later."

"Right, thanks. Anyway…what's, uh…what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Souji opened one eyes and stared at Yosuke for a second, leaning forward and smiling as Chie and Yukiko took a seat in their little group. "Hey, you two. Everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Only problem is that Kanji-kun and Teddie are fighting over the leftovers."

Yukiko glanced back and suppressed a giggle. "You would think they'd just start fighting by now."

"Well, you came right on time. I was just about to tell Yosuke tomorrow's plan."

"Sure. Shoot."

"I have some equipment I need to collect from Daidara. Can you and Yukiko go to Shiroku and get some more supplies? I think what we have now isn't gonna cut it later down the line. Yosuke, you'll be working with Kanji and Teddie to check all our stuff, make sure it's up to par with our weapons."

"What about Rise-chan and Naoto-kun?"

Souji smiled again and waved at her reassuringly. "Naoto has her own little side project. I'll be taking Rise with me to get a lecture from Daidara about her new mic."

"Hey! That was my roll!"

"Finders keepers!"

"Yeah, and I found it! Fork it over, Ted!"

"I think I'll fork it_ here!_"

Kanji watched in shock as Teddie practically inhaled the sushi piece, grinning evilly at him after swallowing. "Hah! I win."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

Nanako was watching the whole spectacle with her father and clapped enthusiastically as the two struck a dramatic fighting pose. Dojima simply looked tired and took a draft of his beer as he watched what was about to turn into a sushi-eating contest. "Well, at least they're having fun. Right, Nanako? You too, right?"

"Yeah! This is great- get him, Teddie!"

Souji smiled and chuckled to himself; this was just like old times. Looking back up to the three friends sitting next to him, he said, "We'll pick this up tomorrow. Just enjoy and rest up, okay?"

"You too, partner."

"Sure thing, Souji-kun!"

"Make sure you rest too, Souji-kun."

He nodded in agreement with them and was about to take a sip of his drink before he suddenly found himself being jostled by a idol. "Hey- Rise-san, no!"

"It's '-chan'! Senpai, I had a question!"

"NO!"

Souji weighed his options as both Rise and Naoto looked at him pleadingly, although for very different reasons. "Did you and Naoto do anything together yet?"

"Souji-kun, you don't have to answer that-"

"Well, yeah."

Naoto watched in dull surprise as Rise cheered and leaned closer. "Yeah? And? And, and, and? Give me details, Senpai!"

"Well…"

"Souji!"

"I made her lunch at least once since I got back. There was some hand holding, some cuddling, and…"

As Rise threw up her hands in exasperation and fell back on Naoto's lap heavily, the latter breathed a sigh of relief and shot Souji a look of thanks. He simply winked back and took the sip he had been trying to get a minute ago.

[- - -]

As the night started to reach the later hours, the rest of the team had taken their leave, with only the Dojimas, Naoto, and Souji remaining in the house.

"Well, Souji-kun, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Want me to walk you home?"

"No, no, I can manage just fine. It's not quite dark outside, anyway."

"Ah! Nao-chan, are you leaving?"

"Yes, I was planning to. Did you...did you need something, Nanako-chan?"

"Oh, you're going home? I...I-I wanted to ask you if, um...if you wanted to stay here. F-for tonight."

Naoto was immediately thrust into a difficult dilemma; Nanako was watching her every move, and it seemed fairly obvious that she wouldn't be able to refuse easily. So, she considered her options.

Stay the night, appease the little one, and not have to walk home in the dark. Or...break her heart, go home, and feel generally terrible about breaking said heart.

...Decisions, decisions…

"I…suppose I can stay, if you really want me to…"

Nanako's almost instantaneous change in demeanor told Naoto that somehow she had been duped with unfair methods. The little girl threw her hands in the air, hopping forward to throw them around the detective's waist. The latter smiled and patted the former's head with one hand, returning the embrace with the other. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou~!"

Souji snickered quietly into his hand as Naoto shot him a look, but he whispered that it was quite difficult to deny Nanako when she asked for such simple things. "Welp. I'll get the extra futon."

"...Thanks…"

"Thanks, Big Bro!"

Naoto watched him go before looking down at Nanako, who beamed and took her hand to lead her to their room. "This is gonna be great! We can read stories and talk about stuff and…"

The detective simple listened and smiled in mild exasperation at the young girl's energy, having resigned to go with the flow about thirty seconds ago.

[- - -]

"I'm glad you're here while Big Bro's visiting. Now my Big Bro and Big Sis are in the same place as me!"

Naoto smiled and reached for a comb as Nanako sat on the futon next to her, gently grooming the younger girl's hair as she chatted. There was something off about the sibling names, given her relationship with Souji, but it was okay; Nanako very likely understood anyhow. "Oh? I'm glad I stayed in town, then."

"Mhm! Thank you, Sis."

Nanako hummed the Junes theme but stayed still as Naoto catered to her hair, the two quietly conversing about nothing in particular. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"Yep! We visited the new Junes branch in the mall. They even have a mascot that looks just like Teddie!"

"Interesting...but out Teddie is better, right?"

"His fur is softer."

The two spoke in unison about the tried-and-true phrase that Teddie used whenever someone, customer or passer-by, inquired about his bear suit. "100 percent genuine Teddie fur!"

They shared a merry laugh as Naoto set the comb down and gestured for Nanako to climb under the thick blanket; she joined her after shutting the light off. Letting out a soft breath at the warmth of the futon, she opened her eyes as Nanako snuggled closer to her. "Are you cold?"

"Nope. I'm glad you're here."

Naoto smiled again and wrapped her arms around the girl that was the little sister she always wanted. Her mind wandered back to the time they had done this before, during the case that started it all. Pushing the darker memories to the back of her mind, she watched fondly as Nanako started to drift off to sleep. Planting an sisterly kiss on her forehead, she smiled as Nanako did and closed her eyes again; eventually sleep claimed her, too.

[- - -]

Souji yawned softly as he checked the doors to the house, Dojima having gone to bed ten minutes prior. Gently jostling the door, he nodded in satisfaction at the sturdy lock. As he headed to his old room, he noticed that the door to Nanako's room was slightly ajar. Taking a quick peek inside, he smiled at the sight; two of the most important girls in his life were together and safe at home. Shutting the door quietly, he checked on Dojima before heading to his room. "Huh...he really did leave it as is."

Unfolding the old futon from his closet, he shook it loose and smoothed it out before sitting down. A strange clicking pattern emanated from his display shelf and caught his attention, but he relaxed when he realized it was simple the Mokoi doll sitting next to his collection of statues and figures. Kicking his legs up, he rested on the soft material and stared up at the ceiling. After about a minute of silence, he started speaking to no one in particular. "Here's hoping we can end this quickly…maybe then I can get some peace, like this."

Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and nuzzled deeper into the thick sheets. As he drifted off to sleep, the old television in front of his work table almost silently flickered to life, revealing a darkened figure shrouded by a mass of static interference. Shining yellow glowed in their irises when they opened their eyes.

* * *

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Just fluff and general goofiness from our heroes. **


	10. Scratching the Surface

**Next chapter is here (huzzah)! Can also be classified as when the story starts to pick up. I feel like it was flagging a bit in regards to the antagonists, so I'm speeding up the plot to what's important. Here's hoping that gets some more interest in the events unfolding. It's just a tad late...pretty late.**

**...Very late.**

**If it's any consolation, this is the biggest chapter yet. Fair warning, some cursing is present.**

**Sorry. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for all the support.**

* * *

A wealth of masks, all emblazoned with their own numerals, lay on the floor. The proxy reached and gently touched one of them, bowing his head as it glowed softly. "_Well?"_

"They're ready. All that's left is their destruction."

"_And he'll take the masks?"_

"A game protagonist would be proud. Of course, he does it with no prior understanding."

"_But the old man adjusts them for his use?"_

"...Yes. He does."

"_You hesitate. Why?"_

"We know each other. Not that he'd admit it."

"_...Interesting."_

"...What? Gonna pop in for some tea?"

"_...Just keep playing your role. If you do, you'll remain."_

The air grew lighter as the presence disappeared, leaving the proxy with his thoughts and the soulless masks. Pulling down his hood, he touched his face, hissing softly as his own skin burned slightly. Putting his hand to his cheek again, he remained silent as he felt the wispy flame that used to be a humanoid face. "...Tch."

[- - -]

"Where are we going, Senpai?"

"To Daidara's. I have to get something before we head into the TV."

"Feel like clueing a girl in?"

"Eh…nothing special. I asked him to do something with my katana."

"That sounds fun."

"Yep."

Souji ducked under the cloth hanging over the doorway to Daidara's shop, putting a hand to his cheek and calling out in a loud, deadpan voice. "Oi, Dai-chan!"

The red-headed artist turned from his forge with a scowl at the honorific, standing and sitting just as quickly on a simple stool behind the counter. "Call me that again and I'm putting glue on your sword handles."

Souji smiled easily and tucked a hand into his pocket, putting the other on Rise's shoulder as she waved nervously. "This is the talented friend of mine I've been telling you about."

"Oh? She looks familiar."

"She's pretty popular in the idol business. Introduce yourself?"

The elder watched Rise's apprehensive expression before letting a small smile show as he offered a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, young lady. Call me Daidara. Old Man or anything like that is fine, too."

The idol giggled softly at the joke, taking his hand and shaking it with confidence. "Rise Kujikawa. I really hope we can get along."

"I don't doubt it. Now...what did you two need?"

"Rise here needs an explanation regarding the mic staff. And my katana, if you're satisfied with the results."

Daidara turned to Rise and grunted, asking, "Did you bring it with you?"

"Umm...yep! Here you are."

He accepted the mic as she offered it to him, looking to Souji and jerking his head towards the forge. "Cleaned and wrapped for ya. Over there."

"Thank you."

Souji ducked around the forge as Daidara began to explain how the collapsible microphone worked, taking extra pride in explaining the design as Rise's face lit up happily. He found his sword lying atop a clean wooden table, placed there with obvious care from its smith. Hefting it onto his shoulder by the strap on the wrapping, he couldn't help but grin at the lighter weight. He made his way back into the main shop just as Rise was catching Daidara in an affectionate hug, with the man awkwardly patting her back as he glanced at Souji. He simply shrugged at his plight as he gently peeled the idol off, patting her head and bowing politely to Daidara. "Thanks for all the help. Rise, any questions?"

"Nope."

"Then we're heading out. I'll see you around, Daidara-san."

"Hmm. Come back anytime."

Souji smiled and gestured for Rise to follow him out of the little store. He watched silently as the idol hummed a cheery tune to herself while extending the telescopic mic and starting to throw a skip into her step. "Don't trip."

"Not planning to, Senpai!"

The two walked, one with ease and the other with spirit. Souji watched Rise for a few seconds and chuckled to himself, walking a little faster to keep up with her.

When they arrived at the Junes war room, Souji held the door open for Rise as she bounded in and skidded to a stop, collapsing the mic with a flourish. "I see she's been a ball of energy."

"Like a cat that can sing."

Souji set his katana on the table and leaned on it as Yosuke tossed him a can of TaP, joining him by sitting on the adjacent table. The partners drank quietly as the rest of the team went about their business. "I'm thinking we should start splitting into groups. Like the last time we had to jump in here."

"Why would we do that?"

"If we all get gassed while we're in there we'd be limiting our progress until we recover. Squads would be just as efficient as before."

"He has a point," Naoto chipped in from where she was cleaning the parts of her pistol, her shotgun lying next to her with its shells in a neat row. "We need to have some kind of active unit at all times to continue pressure on whatever the proxy's plan might be."

Souji offered the drink to Naoto and walked over to the intel board, the detective following him while Yosuke watched from his spot on the table. Souji jabbed the picture of the proxy and sighed, murmuring, "Would really love to get this whole ordeal behind us."

"I know. But we work with what we have. We're only human, after all."

"I dunno, Naoto-kun. We've been through some pretty weird stuff. There was the case, then the Grand Prix, then the-"

"I remember what came after. I would also rather not talk about it."

Souji turned to see Naoto hiding her blush in what was now a practiced maneuver, crossing her arms and looking down slightly; taking a draft from his soda seemed to help, indirect kiss or not. A glance at Yosuke sent the message to pass on the plans, his attention quickly returning to his girlfriend. "Did Nanako behave yesterday?"

A small smile pulled at Naoto's lips as she met his gaze, happiness glowing warmly in her eyes at the mention of her little sister. "She was wonderful company. I'm glad she asked me to stay for the night."

"Good to know. Are you okay with joining me when I head in today?"

"Who else is going to save your hide when you get in trouble?"

"Point taken. Make sure you have everything you need when we head in."

"But of course, O Leader."

He looked at her quizzically as she chuckled at her little joke, waving over her shoulder as she went back to tinkering with her guns. Walking over to where Kanji and Yukiko were chatting over gear, he was able to witness the manly man doing something new; fretting like a mother hen. "I dunno, Yukiko-senpai. It's dangerous in there, and what if they can jam your magic again?"

"I can take care of myself, Kanji-kun. I'm friends with Chie, after all."

"Uh...so?"

"It means-"

"It means she's been subjected to rigorous training and, as such, is capable of self-defense."

They turned and saw Souji wave lazily with a hand that swiftly dipped back into his pocket. "Oh. Hey, Senpai."

"How was your morning, Souji-kun?"

He shrugged, smiling as he cocked his head towards Rise, who was chatting animatedly with Teddie, who was squatting in his bear suit with the top open. "It was interesting, to say the least."

"How so?"

"I had to pull her out of starting a block party."

"Really?"

"No. But she did get along pretty well with Daidara-san."

Kanji grinned and clapped Souji on the shoulder, with the latter stumbling a bit as Yukiko looked on with something resembling approval. The leader nodded and headed to the war board, clapping twice and calling everyone to him. He smiled politely and offered a nod to all who greeted him in turn. "I trust you've all heard the squad plan?"

He was met with a unanimous chorus of agreement. "Alright. I'll be heading in today with Naoto, Yosuke, and Chie."

"Oh, great. The Lovebird squad."

"Also known as the sniper, the machine gun, and the shotgun."

"What are you, Mister Gunman?"

"Um...that's a good question."

"He'd be a glass cannon."

Naoto smiled softly from where she was leaning on her worktable, offering a mock thumbs-up as Souji shot her a look.

"...Thanks?"

"Anytime."

_...Good to know._

"...Well, we're heading in."

"Be careful, all of you."

Souji smiled honestly in response to Rise's warning, waving over his shoulder as he climbed in the TV, followed closely by his squad. They landed in the entrance studio shortly after, all of them shaking their heads from the dizzying entry. Souji was the first to recover, adjusting his jacket as he muttered, "No time to waste. Let's get to Yasogami."

Souji ran along one of the paths leading out of the studio, the one that led to the shopping district of TV Inaba. The plan quickly fell apart as he skidded to a stop at the sight that greeted him. He teetered slightly on the edge of the new maw in the ground before Yosuke hauled him back by his jacket. A large portal, not unlike the mysterious ways the team would be forced to progress in Magatsu Inaba. The semblance wasn't lost on Souji, but he hid his feelings as he righted himself. "Whoa there. That's new."

"Huh...yeah. Thanks."

"Yep. I'll send you the bill through the mail."

Souji leaned over the edge and watched the swirls resting in the red and black portal that had decided to destroy the street. "...I think we found our next lead."

"You're pretty gifted when it comes to understatements, huh Souji-kun?"

He turned to smile at Chie, who returned it with a bright one of her own. "That's an understatement."

He looked back into the maw as his friends laughed at the jab, squatting on the edge and musing about where to go. "What's the plan, boss?"

"...Hop in?"

Yosuke looked at him incredulously before a grin crossed his face, cracking his knuckles as Souji nodded. "Oh, I missed our stupid plans."

"Yep."

Naoto looked up from her gun at the sound of the word 'plan'. "Oh, are we moving on? I assumed you wanted to-"

She would never finish her sentence as she witnessed what just might be one of the dumbest moves any sensible investigator would perform; jumping headfirst into what may very well be a trap. Yosuke and Souji were jumping into the portal with their backs towards it; the former with his hands behind his head and apparently napping while the latter flashed the 'OK' sign at Naoto as she watched with a slack jaw. "You idiots-"

It was too late; they were already being moved to who-knows-where. She looked helplessly to Chie, who was watching with a face that was trying far too hard to hide a giggle. "We-we have to follow them, Chie-senpai!"

"Still with the -senpai? How come Souji-kun gets the special treatment?"

"That's not important right now, we have to go!"

Chie put her hands in her pockets, nodding as her face took a more serious expression. A confident smile was still present, as though she trusted that Yosuke and Souji could manage just fine.

"Okay."

Souji looked up from where he landed, holding his arms out as if waiting to receive something from the sky. "What are you doing?"

"Wait for it."

Naoto dropped out of the sky from the portal above them, landing softly in Souji's arms, She looked around quizzically as Souji grinned at her. "Going my way?"

She stared at him for a second as her mind caught up with just what had happened before a blush flared across her cheeks and she hopped out of his hands. Yosuke wasn't as lucky as Chie landed in his hands and sent them both to the floor. "Geez...how much steak've you inhaled lately?"

"It's not my fault you lack upper body strength."

Souji put a hand on his opposite shoulder and flexed his neck, frowning at what he saw.

"...Well, now he's just messing with us."

The team had landed in the shopping district of an Okina City that had fallen to the desolation of the TV Inaba. Skyscrapers that had once stood tall as a symbol of pride for the small city now lay in either disarray or upon another. It took a reminder of the real world for Souji to realize that this was simply a cruel rendition. From where they were, he could see two clear paths; one went through the ruins of the theatre, while the other ran through the bookstore. "...Huh. Never could buy books from there."

"They must be out of stock. How should we proceed, Souji-kun?"

"...We have two paths. Safest way to go down one is as a team."

"So we must be splitting into groups of two."

Souji grinned at Yosuke as he put his headphones on, nodding and putting a hand on his katana. "Actually, I was thinkin' of putting it to a vote. What say you, my compatriot?"

"I say we split."

"Second it."

He looked at Naoto, who looked undecided about the whole ordeal. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder as she looked at him with troubled eyes, but she nodded in the end. "I should be saying that sticking together is the best way, but there are too many questions and not enough answers. Maybe scouring both paths will reveal something."

"_Do I get a vote?"_

Souji chuckled to himself at Rise's voice cutting in, nodding to her in hopes that she could see him through Kouzeon. "Of course you do. What's on your mind?"

"_Well...I can watch over one team and have Teddie manage the other, but it's dangerous no matter how you slice it. I say you stick together, but the votes already in the opposite favor-"_

"_Do I get a vote?"_

"...Yes, Teddie."

"_Then I agree with Rise-chan! Stick together."_

"Souji-kun, you may as well offer your vote."

Souji crossed his arms and slouched a bit, the katana shifting against his belt as he mused about the best course of action. "Oh boy. Um…"

_...Even if I say we should stick together, it'll just end in a tie. Then we'll just have to take an overall vote, and..._

_This might not have been the best method of deciding._

"Teams of two. Keep communication up and don't do anything dangerous."

Chie watched Souji for a moment before saying, "We will if you follow your own advice."

"...?"

"Naoto-kun told us how you tried to rodeo one of those shade things."

He shot Naoto a look at that, but his gaze quickly flicked back to Chie, who was rhythmically tapping her foot as she patiently watched him. "...It was kind of a spur of the moment thing…"

He took an instinctive step back as she stepped forward, poking his chest firmly as he backed up. "You thought we forgot about the whole going in alone thing, didn't ya?"

A sheepish smile showed itself as he put his hands up in his usual disarming nature. "I was kind of hoping for that-"

"Well, I'm an officer...in training, buddy! And now I can interrogate you!"

"I-I think you're getting a little upset-"

"_Huge understatement, Senpai."_

_...Thank you, Rise._

He looked from Yosuke to Naoto pleadingly as his back hit a wall, but there was no help to be found as they both shrugged. An explosion in the distance sent debris flying out from both entrances, leaving the team immersed in a thin layer of dust in the air. Chie spoke between coughs as she pointed at Souji.

"I'll make sure Naoto-kun lectures you."

"Oh, woe is me."

"Chie, let's go. Before you take his arms or something."

The officer shot Souji a meaningful look as she backpedaled to Yosuke, the two disappearing into the bookstore as he looked at Naoto. "Thanks."

"Mm. She's not wrong. When things calm down you can expect her to chew you out."

"Fun."

They both started heading into the entrance to the Theatre, sharing a muted growl as a long hallway with many branching paths. "Fantastic."

"Truly. Lead on, Souji-kun."

As they walked down the hallway, Souji cleared his throat at the silence that followed close behind them. "...At least there aren't any shadows."

[- - -]

"Why are there so many shadows?!"

"Less complaining, more fighting! Duck!"

Yosuke crouched dutifully and grunted as Chie boosted off his back and introduced her foot to an Agitating Hablerie's face(?). He rose and threw both his daggers at the King Castle, calling Takehaya Susano-o to shred it to pieces with a Garudyne-enhanced spiral blade. Chie punted another Intrepid Knight in range of Haraedo-no-Okami, decimating it with a powerful swing of her double-blade. "Yosuke! Dragon Hustle!"

The two stood back to back as Yosuke called Takehaya to work with Haraedo, the two Personas utilizing their abilities to combine Dragon Hustle and Youthful Wind into a single, powerful buff. "Ready, Chie?"

"Oh yeah."

Rise watched carefully over the two, the benchwarmers staring intently at one of Kouzeon's projectors as Yosuke and Chie crashed into battle again with earnest.

[- - -]

"Oh, look. A...shadow?"

What greeted them towards the end of the hallway was something that looked like a wretched man. Black fog wafted off his body as he staggered to his feet and stared at them. A mask was on his face, but it wore no numeral and was almost split entirely down the middle. It slowly but surely walked towards them as Souji dug his feet into the ground.

"Here we go."

Souji drew his katana and let electricity dance along the blade, Naoto slowly drawing her revolver behind him. Subtly putting her hand out, she let a card burn under her palm before disappearing in a miniscule flash. Trap was set.

The shadow broke into a run, forcing Souji into a ready stance…only for it to be promptly pinned down by a glyph in the shape of a glowing reticule. Megido spikes burst from where it lay, easily puncturing the unwitting shadow and pinning it in place. Naoto took aim and fired a single powered bullet into its face. Souji straightened up slowly and looked back at Naoto, who ejected her gun's cylinder and flicked a new round into it. She noted his expression with some amusement, shrugging and holstering the weapon. "What?"

"I thought they just exploded."

"That's because I lacked the time to set refined traps. I was unable to focus as much as I would have liked."

"Huh…remind me not to make you mad."

"I won't promise anything."

"Ooh. Harsh."

"_Senpai, there's something at the end of the hallway...be careful."_

"Okay...Naoto, keep your distance."

"Understood."

Souji cautiously opened the door, glancing through before slowly walking in and brandishing his katana. The room he found himself in was… "A...parking lot?"

"It looks like the parking garage in the-"

A loud thud echoed through the room, and Souji turned to see Naoto staring ahead with a look of shock in her eyes before they fluttered shut as she fell to the floor. "_Ah! Naoto-kun!"_

The proxy stood behind her and twirled his glaive, shrugging as Souji's gaze morphed into a cold glare. "You'd think she would be more aware after the last time."

"You…"

"Me. I decided to bring the party this time. After all, you're always busting your ass getting to me!"

"And the first thing you do-"

"-Is...yeah. I thought it'd be funny."

"Listen, you-"

"Dao."

"...What?"

"I come bearing gifts. My name. And a little boost for your soul."

Souji winced as the burning sensation in his chest returned, his head feeling like it was in a vice as Dao stared at him from behind his mask. "Oh. Looks like you're getting used to it."

_The World (?) - 3_

Souji shook the stars out of his vision and slammed the end of his sheath into the floor, the heavy point embedding itself in the dusty earth. He changed his grip and drew the katana, twirling it habitually and letting electricity dance along the blade. "I'll have you know…"

Magatsu Izanagi appeared and swung his spear in a wide, upwards arc, forcing Dao to lean back and put a hand on his hood. Souj took the opportunity to get in close, shouldering him back and clashing blades with him. "...hurt her, and you're not gonna enjoy what happens next."

"_Get him, Senpai! I know you can win!"_

"...Huh. You're actually pissed, eh? Maybe I should knock her out more often-"

Souji responded by smiling as his glare darkened and he forced their weapons down, leaving the katana behind in favor of grabbing Dao by his hooded cloak and shoving him to the ground. As he struggled to rise, he was sent back into the dirt as Souji's foot met his face. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

Dao looked up at him from where he was, rolling back and retrieving his glaive. "Ugh...that stung."

"Get up. I'm not done with you yet."

Souji's eyes shone strangely as he held his katana with a firm double grip, planting his feet securely into the ground as electricity tickled his cheek. His face was impassive as Dao hefted the glaive at him, the two staring each other down for a second before dashing at each other and clashing again. Souji let go of the handle to reach forward again, but his fingers only grazed Dao's mask as he kicked him in the side. "Nice try."

"_Senpai, attack while he's recovering- he won't see an attack from his blind side!"_

Souji parried a swing from the glaive and spun, raising his leg and bringing it down on the back of Dao's head. He used the momentum to pull him back and slam the butt of his katana handle on the same spot, downing him on the spot. Souji raised his foot to dodge Dao's leg sweep as he rose, but was tripped and fell as he brought his other leg around to kick him. From where he lay, Souji thrust his katana upwards and pushed Dao's head back in his attempt to dodge. Rising to his knees, Souji called Magatsu to grab Dao and throw him a few feet away. Before the Persona could disappear, Ouroboros leapt from Dao's sleeve and latched onto him, biting his neck fiercely. Magatsu retaliated by throttling the snake with a clawed hand before they both winked out of sight.

Souji and Dao both shouted in pain, clutching the spot where their respective Persona had taken damage. They both picked up their weapons and faced each other again, a silence falling on the makeshift arena. Dao leapt forward and stabbed the ground, wresting the blade up and sending debris at Souji, who burnt them all with a slash that let lightning crackle in its wake. The former raised his glaive above his head, intent on ending Souji as he recovered from the attack.

"This is it…"

Souji leaned away from the blade intent on his head, sheathing his katana and raising his arms. Blocking the bash of Dao's handle, he pushed both their arms down and kneed him swiftly in the chin, grabbing his head and slamming it onto the sheathed katana's handle. Dashing at the reeling enemy, he crouched and skidded on his soles as he pulled his weapon out of the earth, using the momentum to unsheath it and swing in a shining vertical arc. The blade cleaved through the mask Dao was wearing, the two halves disintegrating as they fell from his face. Souji hooked the sheath onto his belt and held the katana up in a ready stance as Dao staggered back a few steps, screaming angrily as he put a hand to his 'face'. His voice unsettled Souji, but it fell to a low growl as he looked at him with slitted eyes.

"Ouroboros, coil."

The onyx snake leapt from Dao's shoulders, weaving around Souji's blocking stance and twining around his shoulders. It bit into his hand and tied its tail around his arms, locking them in a painful hold against his back. The snake's scaled tightened against him, forcing him to let go of his katana with an agonized groan. Souji fell heavily to his knees as Dao looked on, but a defiant gleam shone in his eye. _If I can just move my hand…_

He summoned a card into his palm, and his fingers just grazed it before Dao kicked him onto his back. "You're pretty good."

Souji shouted in pain as he stomped on his chest, and his legs kicked feebly as he fought for breath. The mask coin fell from his shirt and lay clearly on the ground.

"Oh. Ohoho, now that's interesting…"

He kicked Souji roughly in the stomach to turn him over, tearing the coin necklace from him and materializing the 'III' mask. Digging a knee into Souji's gut, he ignored the silverette's pained groans in favor of forcing the mask onto his face. Dao grinned wickedly as Souji's eyes widened from behind the mask. "Y'know what the Priestess is for?! Here; learn a little bit!"

Flashes surged through Souji's mind; some familiar, some not. His brain lurched under the influx of information, but he was able to piece together one particular scene.

"_Y'know, I never repaid you for - - - - -."_

_Souji smiled sweetly as he raised Naoto a bit higher, his grip on her collar tightening as she winced at his words. Her arms were limp at her sides, as if all drive to fight had left her and she was content to accept her fate. She stared at him levelly, murmuring a moment later, "I know. But I also - - - - -."_

_His smile fell, but the katana in his hand glowed slightly in the light. Dropping his prey, he raised the blade, intent on piercing the target in front of him..._

The rest of what transpired disappeared in a burst of static, almost like a TV's channel abruptly cutting off.

Dao stood slowly and pulled the mask off Souji's face. He leaned down and seized him with a fistful of his shirt, grinning at the stupefied expression he wore. The voices of new arrivals made him drop his quarry and stand with a low growl.

"Souji!"

"Souji-kun!"

Yosuke and Chie ran to their fallen friend with haste, but Dao intervened, teleporting between them and Souji. Waving a finger in front of his face, Dao's smile was covered by a mask forming in front of his face. "No-no-no. I'm afraid this ride's for two at a time. Sorry, but you'll have to play with me for a little bit-"

Dao felt the world changing perspective as he felt a hand go around his neck from behind and a knee crash into his back. Souji hauled him over his shoulder, and threw him to the ground. Stumbling a bit, he stared at his friends and smiled uneasily, plucking his katana off the floor. "There you guys are-"

"Seta...you're bothering me."

Souji's eyes widened in shock as the room split, sending the half he was standing on down as his world grew unbalanced. He turned to see Naoto still lying on the ground, and he dropped his katana in favor of sprinting over before a stray piece of debris hit him over the head, making everything go dark as the two fell. "Souji! Shit...Rise, can you-"

"You're dealing with me now."

Dao leveled his glaive at them as Yosuke simply took off his headphones and tossed them to Chie, who caught them neatly and slipped them around her neck. She bounced rhythmically from one foot to another as she smiled at him, nodding as she settled into an eager stance. Yosuke tapped the edges of his daggers together as Rise chimed through the Persona link, "_I'll see what I can learn about him while you fight. Maybe he has a weakness. Beat him up, you two!"_

"...Well, you heard her. Sic 'im."

"Hey, I'm not a puppy. Besides, you're stronger than me."

"That's not something guys admit to easily."

"Can't just take it as a sign of trust?

"Fine, I-"

"Ouroboros."

Dao smiled as a onyx snake coiled around his shoulders, hissing softly and letting a metallic tongue flicker out of its mouth menacingly. His glaive appeared in his hand, but his spun it and snapped it in two, catching the two pieces as they mended themselves into two short blades. "I apologize, but I don't want my ears to start bleeding before we even fight. That'd be unfortunate."

He blocked a thrown dagger and focused his attention on Yosuke, but was thrown off balance by Chie's heel smashing into his hip. He growled slightly but was undeterred until Yosuke launched himself off his back and stomped on him, sending them to the floor as Yosuke surfed on him. Dao roared in anger at the insulting attack, rising and blowing the tag team back with a wave of black fire. Grinding his blades against each other, Ouroboros appeared around him and hissed as it formed a figure eight. "Alright. No more bullshit."

[- - -]

"...-ji-kun. Souji-kun!"

Souji's eyes opened slowly but surely, his vision slowly adjusting to the light as he found Naoto gazing at him with what he could only classify as worry. He winced slightly from the pain in his stomach and raised a hand to touch her face. "...Were you crying?"

She smiled down at him and took his hand, using her other to brush something out of her eye. "Of course not. You decided to fall asleep in another dusty room."

"Dusty room-...? But I was…"

Souji sat up, brushing his hair back as he scanned the room. He recognized it as a something that resembled the bottom floor of a parking garage, one that looked like the one behind the Okina Theatre. His hand found his katana lying next to him as he stood, glancing up at the roof and noticing the giant hole. Briefly looking at the debris scattered around the room, he put two and two together. "...Oh."

_So the two paths led to one of the levels of the garage...and then we fell._

"I found your katana stuck under one of the broken pillars. It's a bit too heavy for me, so…I left it with you."

"Thanks. Now, we should get moving, we need to find Yosuke and Chie."

"If the building structure is the same here, then the room we were about to enter was the connecting room between the garage and the Grand Mall."

"So that puts where we ended up just behind the theatre...the garage is built behind it, and the mall is connected to it."

"Right. And the mall is the center of the main shopping district."

"Hmm...Okina always was a quaint city."

"I prefer that to the dust and debris."

"Same. Let's get going-"

Souji's vision flashed white for a moment, the shock forcing him to his knees just as he stood. He stared blindly at the ground as the events he watched replayed.

_Never repaid her? For what-_

"Agh!"

Souji clutched his head as memories began to flow forth, ones that he had buried under all the sadness that emerged from that part of the case. When he was worried Nanako was going to die.

_Souji sat unflinchingly in the hallway of Nanako's room with his eyes closed and one leg crossed over the other. He winced softly as he looked at the bandage wrapped tightly around his thigh, taking a deep breath and exhaling as he closed his eyes again. "Your leg feeling any better?"_

_He opened one eye to see Adachi coming out of the room, offering a small smile as he waved. "Oh...Adachi-san. Yeah, it's been...it's been healing well enough."_

"_Good, good." The detective scratched the back of his head nervously; he still wasn't used to talking casually like this. Especially in a damn hospital. "Er...seems kinda weird that I would visit Nanako-chan, huh? Hehe. Made it here before you, even!"_

_Souji smiled slightly, nodding politely at his friend's floundering. "I'm glad you did. I appreciate that you took the time to."_

"_Yeah, of course. I had a bit of time before I needed to get back to the precinct, so...yeah. You, uh...you catch my drift, right?"_

"_Yeah. I do. Did you manage to eat anything today?"_

_Adachi stared at him for a moment before grinning and giving him a thumbs-up. "Yeah, I...had that lunch you gave me the other day. No cabbage for me this time!"_

"_Oh? Good to know. Any good? I'm still kind of practicing."_

"_...It was. Thanks, Souji-kun, but I gotta get going. Take care of yourself, huh?"_

"_You too. I'll see ya."_

_Adachi waved again and started walking down the hallway, exchanging pleasantries with that blue-haired kid that was hanging out with Souji more and more often. "Adachi-san."  
_"_Hey, kiddo."_

_Adachi chuckled at the noise he made from that, closing his eyes as he made his way to the exit. _

"_Senpai. I'm sorry I was late, I had to-"_

"_You don't need to apologize...I'm thankful you were able to come."_

_Naoto fumbled with her words, mind stumbling as she stopped and stared at the bandage around his leg. He watched her with a hint of warmth in his gaze, reaching over to touch her shoulder. "Are you okay? You're zoning out."_

"_Y-your leg. Is it healing?"_

_Souji blinked before nodding and smiling; she could see there was no hatred behind it, but that didn't necessarily mean the warmth reached his eyes. Those had reverted to a dull grey, the strange ring around his pupil seeming to fade a bit._

"_Slowly but surely. Ready to go in-"_

"_I...I-I'm...I don't know what I can say. I-"_

"_There's nothing to say. What happened wasn't your fault."_

_She took off her cap and held it over her chest, her eyes boring into him as he watched her calmly. The honesty reflected in his eyes told her he meant what he was saying, and that tore her up inside that much more. After all…  
_"_But, I'm the one...who shot you."_

Naoto watched in horror as his eyes met hers, and the anger that was reflected in them was replaced by fear, and ultimately nothing at all. He collapsed onto the ground, her cries to him fading into nothing but darkness.

[- - -]

Dao failed to duck as Yosuke's dagger lacerated his mask, reeling back until he felt a foot slam into his stomach. He groaned as the pain set in, but he still blocked Chie's axe kick and forced her foot away. "Bite them."

Ouroboros appeared and swung its tail in a whirlwind of black, its bladed scales audibly cutting the air. He dashed forward through the attack and elbowed Yosuke, grabbing the back of his collar and throwing him back. Chie sent Haraedo-no-Okami to rain death upon him, but a thrown blade destroyed it as he grabbed the girl by her collar and hefted her into the air, smiling as she kneed his forearm. Taking her arm in his free hand, he lifted her and pinned her securely to the ground, sighing as she struggled. "Let me go, you-"

"Save it. Last thing I need is your complaining."

Yosuke found his way to his feet and ran at Dao with his daggers held low, ready for a precise strike at his target. His adversary simply lifted one of his short blades and pressed the edge gently against Chie's thigh, ignoring her cry as the blade bit slightly into her skin.

"Drop your weapons before she loses hers."

Yosuke stopped in his tracks as Dao raised his blade point down, nodding insistently at the daggers clutched weakly in his hands. "Damn…!"

"Sorry, what?"

"I'm doing it, just...stop."

Yosuke raised his hands and let Malakh drop to the ground as Dao rested the flat of his blade against Chie's wound. A low whine escaped her as the cold metal pressed against the cut, but he shushed her. "Shut up."

He stood and left her on the ground as a light Dia spell washed over her leg, and she slowly rose as he backed away. He tilted his head curiously as she stumbled against Yosuke dazedly. "Good call, you saved your girl...I've seen all I need to. Toodles."

Dao took off his hooded cloak and tossed it behind him, the fabric(?) billowing out and remaining suspended in the air. He stepped into the darkness that showed in the cloth and waved as it swallowed him and disappeared.

Yosuke cursed softly and slowly let Chie sink to the floor, taking her cheeks in his palms and making sure she was relatively unhurt. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head negatively, her normally bubbly attitude subdued. He put his headphones over her ears and played some music from his player, pulling her into a secure hug and murmuring reassurances that she could faintly hear.

[- - -]

"Souji-kun?"

Souji woke with a shock, glancing around with alarm before he noted that the world was on its side. He was also resting his head on something warm and strangely familiar feeling. He smiled and made a little noise of contentment, one that Naoto couldn't help but smile at.

"Huh. Lap pillow."

"I assure you, it wasn't my idea. I was trying to put a towel on your forehead before you started your tactile routine."

"...Huh. Naoto lap pillow."

She chuckled softly at that, pressing the back of her palm against his forehead. "Yes, it is indeed me. Your temperature's normal again, too."

"Ugh…how long was I out?"

"About an hour. You were feverish for a while."

"What...what happened? I remember falling down a floor or three, then I saw you and…"

"You fell unconscious shortly afterwards. Yosuke-san and Chie-san followed the fall path, and we borrowed one of your Goho-M's to extract. Now, here we are."

Naoto chose to leave out the part where he glared at her; she wanted to believe that it was simply him seeing things, but there was something biting her...

"Ah. Thanks…"

"He also told me about your fight with the proxy."

"...Oh."

Naoto pouted slightly, poking his cheek with one finger and talking as he let out a deadpan "ow" with each jab to emphasize her point. "You. Are. Too. Reckless."

"I. Get. That."

"Then why do you continue to throw yourself into danger like that?"

"Because. Better me than you, I…I already almost lost you once. I don't want to go through that again."

Souji went silent as he turned away from her slightly and pressed his cheek to her thigh. Naoto quietly digested his remark, her hand finding his hair and playing with it. Her fingers gently scratched along his crown, and his hair went in whatever direction she felt like grooming. The times he would lower his defenses were few and far between, and the fight with Izanami two years ago was a relatively sore subject, a past misfortune buried under happier times. Her mouth felt dry as she murmured, "We're still here. I'm…still here. And I don't want to lose you either."

"Heh. I'll try my best."

Naoto smiled reassuringly and relaxed on the cushions, not noticing the troubled expression the twisted Souji's face as he quietly nuzzled against her leg. He swallowed the lump in his throat as the events he saw came back like a leak in his mind. _Why...would I hurt her?_

_...And why was no one stopping me…?_

The thoughts eventually brewed into a single one that pierced his will, and the belief that the team would come out of this unscathed grew slightly weaker.

* * *

**So…yeah. Some stuff happened.**

**The similarities between the proxy (Dao) and a certain other hooded villain are not lost on me, but I'm hoping his character development will set him apart. I also hope he's at least slightly interesting.**

**As a side note, I'm loving the influx of Sounao stories. It warms my soul. :)**

**Later.**


	11. Revenge of the (Pun) Machine

**Picking up right where I left the last chapter! Here, I introduce another character into the story. As per usual, it doesn't exactly go down as one would expect.**

**Read on!**

* * *

Souji was fighting sleep on Naoto's lap but was roused when she murmured, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...fine, I'm just…"

Naoto swallowed nervously; she knew why he was being unusually somber. The problem here was whether or not to ask him about it. She took a deep breath as Souji adjusted his head a bit; looking back, before he had fallen unconscious, he had his hand on his thigh. This didn't mean anything except for a select few; her being one of them. "Does it hurt?"

"You'd be the first to know if I was in life-threatening pain."

"I get the feeling that statement couldn't be farther from the truth."

She looked down at him sadly, her fingers going slower through his hair. He noticed this and turned, wincing at her expression. Rising carefully, her scooted close and took her cheeks in his palms, his thumbs stroking gently in what she recognized as one of his methods for comforting her. "What did I say?"

His gaze locked on hers, but there was no derision or hatred in his eyes. She felt her heart catch in her throat before she said in a slightly trembling voice, "That it wasn't my fault…"

"And I meant it. I don't want to see you beating yourself up, okay?"

She smiled, genuinely this time, content to believe that Souji truly wasn't angry at her. "Okay. Thank you, Souji-kun."

He smiled back and pulled her into a comforting hug, one she gladly returned as she buried her face into his shoulder. She made a small, happy noise as one of his hands rested on the back of her head, easing the small tie for her ponytail out of her hair and brushing it as it was released. He held her until her breathing became more even, saying softly, "Did Rise teach you how to tie a ponytail?"

Naoto easily noticed the attempt to change topics, but she accepted and nuzzled against him as she said, "Mhm. I had to ask her when I...decided to let it grow longer."

Souji hummed a bit in acknowledgement, murmuring as she closed her eyes, "Looks good."

She giggled a bit, effectively letting Souji know that her mood had improved thanks to their little chat. "You said that already."

"Emphasis."

Souji pulled back and held her shoulders at arms-length, nodding as she smiled more confidently at him. "You good?"

"Yes...thank you."

He got up and offered a hand, pulling her up and into a lazy half-hug. "Go on and get some coffee. You look exhausted."

She looked at him for a moment but acquiesced nonetheless, touching his hand briefly before leaving the break room they were in. Souji watched the door close, striding to the door and locking it. Heading back to the middle of the room, he pulled off the mask coin and stared at it. Forming the 'III' mask, he stared at it with an expression torn between confusion and anger. The former because the secrets that lay within, and the latter because of just what one of those secrets seemed to be. Dropping the mask on the soft carpet, he closed his eyes and focused, raising his hands in a meditative gesture and sharpening his mind. The room seemed to fade into a calm blue landscape, a multitude of large cards floating down to surround him. Glancing at the images and smiling at their meaning, he reached forward and gently touched a card emblazoned as the Fortune Arcana. His fingers dragged softly down the ethereal surface as his smile grew, but he sorted through them until he found the one that he was looking for. The World Arcana was facing him, but this one was inverted, both in color and appearance. He glared at it, wrestling with how he could end this before the Link grew stronger. "Izanagi."

His go-to Persona grunted behind him, prompting him to turn and smile. "Hey."

A gauntlet clapped softly against the back of his head, and he frowned a bit at Izanagi as he clutched the spot. "Hey! That hurt."

Izanagi stared levelly at him before leaning on a wall that wasn't there, shrugging his shoulders as Souji shot him a look. "Are you lecturing me?"

A grunt followed by a head shake. "Okay...then what did you need?"

A glare. "Aah. If you're gonna do that, at least dress more comfortably."

Izanagi regarded him with some amusement and nodded, disappearing into the hazy blue but rematerializing a moment later, clad in a black longcoat, a white shirt, and dark grey jeans. His spear was slung onto his back, giving him a generally threatening appearance alongside the mask he always wore. Souji crossed his arms and nodded approvingly at how they appeared to be the same age as well, poking the mask and grinning at the growl as Izanagi took a step back. "That's a good look for you. Maybe you should've played the guitar in that instead."

He gave him a strange look, took a hand out of his coat's pocket, and smacked his head again. "Agh- Stop that!"

Stare. "Okay, we agreed not to speak on it. Sorry."

Souji crossed his arms and watched Izanagi levelly, gesturing with one hand as he said, "So, what did you want?"

The Persona cocked his head in the general direction Naoto had left the room in, causing Souji to furrow his brow and ask, "You want me to go after her?"

Nod. "And do what?"

Stare. "You want me to-...oh. You want me to make up with her."

Another nod. "Yeah, you're right. I'll try."

Izanagi watched Souji for another moment before raising his hand, making a curious noise as Souji winced. Planting it firmly on his head, he playfully ruffled Souji's hair and pushed his head away, slowly fading back into his original garb. "...Good talk. Be seeing you."

The Persona nodded and disappeared in a burst of light. Souji sighed as his mind relaxed and the room returned to normal. Looking towards the door, he quickly made his way out and into the Junes food court. The first person he saw was Chie, but, as he approached, she looked rather downcast. "Dragon?"

She looked up at him as and smiled, but there was some kind of sadness in her eyes. "Hey, wolf."

Hi smiled in turn at the nickname she'd tacked on him after watching one of those kung-fu movies with far too much action and plenty of zany setpieces; a team favorite. He took a seat in front of her and rested his hands on the table, offering a reassuring smile at his friend. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just...thinking about what happened in the TV today."

"Still feel like chewing me out?"

She laughed indulgently at the little joke, stifling a short giggle afterwards as she waved him off. "No, I was just trying to make ya feel bad. I mean what happened after Yosuke and I made it to where you were fighting."

"Mind telling me what happened, or…?"

Souji touched her shoulder gently and smiled again, and the nod he received in kind told him it was appreciated. "We, um...we were fighting the guy, and I thought we were winning, but…"

She put her face in her hands and stared at the ground, shaking her head as Souji watched quietly. "He was just too strong. He pinned me down and...used me as a bargaining chip. Yosuke had to surrender and he just...left."

Her shoulders started trembling, alarming Souji as he stood slightly out of his seat. "He just...left. And that was it. Like we were nothing."

Anger smoldered in Souji's heart, but whatever negative emotion he was feeling was well hidden as he tentatively patted Chie's back. He quietly moved his chair closer and kept his hand there as she tried her best to calm down. "I fought him too. He definitely is tough, but you noticed something, right?"

"W-...what?"

"He gets mad, just like all of us. Then, he makes mistakes. I pushed him pretty far, and Rise should have some more info about him."

Chie brushed her eyes with her jacket sleeve until Souji offered her a handkerchief, accepting it with a smile and asking, "Where would you even keep this?"

"Wallet. Figured having one would be classy."

"Heh. Sounds like you."

Souji noticed Yosuke coming out of the corner of his eye, standing and squeezing Chie's shoulder gently. "Chin up, huh? We'll get him. I promise."

"Heading home?"

He nodded as his partner showed up, waving as he backed towards the main court. "Gonna find Naoto first. I owe her something. You two take it easy."

He was met with a two-fingered salute and a small smile as he left the area. Scanning the various booths for all different types of food, from snacks like takoyaki to full-on bento boxes, he failed to find Naoto after about five minutes of searching. Walking up to one of the vendors, he smiled politely and bowed a bit before asking, "Hi. Have you seen a girl around here? Dark blue hair...kinda short?"

The cashier adjusted her Junes cap and put a finger to her chin in thought before snapping in what seemed to be a revelation. "Ah, her! Yeah, she was here just a few minutes ago. She bought a coffee, but it looked like she had somewhere to be. She left pretty quickly, that way."

"Thanks."

"Come back soon!"

Souji smiled distractedly and hustled out of the food court, breaking into a brisk jog as soon as he got out of the district. He was about halfway through the shopping district before he heard a familiar voice calling out to him; unfortunately, it was one that he associated with a death threat. "Hey! Where do you think you're goin'?"

He skidded to a stop, brushing his hair back and trying not to tremble as he turned. A head of bright red hair was the first thing he saw, then the thoroughly-miffed expression clued him into exactly who he was meeting. "...Sho."

The former mastermind(?) of the P1 faced him down, two wooden swords clutched in his hands. His outfit was quite different from the last time they fought; the Yasogami jacket was missing altogether, and he was clad in a dull black shirt and cargo pants. It was as if someone had taken him shopping. Souji tried not to laugh at the conclusion that Sho must have graduated from high school in the first place as he said, "Remember when I said when we were gonna fight again?"

"...I recall you promising to kill me?"

"Things change. Ready to get your ass handed to you?"

"Depends. Why are you here?"

Sho tossed one of the swords over to Souji, who deftly caught it and spun it, bringing it down to his side and putting one foot forward in a more relaxed version of his regular stance. The former kicked an extra sword up and caught it, crouching into his own stance. "Tell ya what. Beat me and you'll know!"

Souji sighed and put a hand on his neck, cocking his head to the side and smiling cheekily. "Shouldn't be too hard. Come at me."

Sho ducked his head and let his swords touch the ground before dashing at his target at superhuman speed. Souji half-lidded his eyes and sidestepped at the last moment, bringing his weapon up to intercept Sho's slash. The blow was deflected, and the momentum sent Sho flying past Souji, but he recovered with a deft backflip and crouched naturally. Souji looked at his sword and shrugged, stepping forward again and staring down his opponent. An elderly woman peeked out from the doorway of her shop and her eyes widened as she recognized one of her granddaughter's friends being attacked. Finding the tofu store's phone, she dialed her number and said to the girl who picked up, "Rise-chan, please come quick! Your friend is being attacked by a red-haired delinquent!"

[- - -]

Naoto tapped her pencil rhythmically against the paper, notes about the day's battle written down for about three-fourths of the page. Rise leaned over her friend's shoulder, careful not to spill the tea she had been offered when she followed the detective home.

"Thank you, Rise-san. This should be helpful for when we fight him again."

"I think he said his name was Dao when he was fighting Senpai."

"...Dao? Interesting…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Now we should-"

_Pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-_

"Sorry, Naoto-kun."

"Please, go ahead."

Rise smiled and put the phone to her ear, putting the cup down next to Naoto's hand. The detective nudged it further into her desk before turning as she faintly heard the idol's breath hitch. Rise was pale as she turned back to Naoto and pocketed her phone quietly. She reached over and touched her shoulder, recoiling as she flinched slightly. "Rise-san…?"

"I-it might just be some troublemaker...but my grandma just called."

She faced Naoto and collected herself a bit before muttering, "She said a guy with red hair is fighting with Senpai...in the shopping district."

Naoto's gaze darkened considerably, and she turned away to pull her phone out and dial a number. "...Kanji-kun."

[- - -]

Souji wound his arm back as he turned his torso away from a dual slice, stepping forward again and swinging with all the strength he could muster. His sword met Sho's two, and a loud crack reverberated through the air as the two skid back a few feet away from each other. They both were panting from exertion, but Sho recovered his breath fast enough to smirk and say, "Not bad. You've been keepin' up with me."

"Yeah? I've been getting some work in recently."

Souji grinned despite himself, sliding the wooden weapon into his belt and dashing into an alley. He vaulted over one of the store's generators as Sho shouted, "Hey! Where are you going?!"

He looked over his shoulder to see the redhead giving chase at a speed matching his own. He turned on a dime into another alley and ran out of the shopping district, with Sho slowly catching up with him as he made his way to somewhere that he knew people wouldn't get hurt; the floodplain.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, but they made it there far faster than he thought they would. Not stopping, he jumped and planted a foot on the gazebo; he pushed hard off of it to launch back at Sho while pulling the sword from his belt. They matched blades(?) again, the momentum allowing Souji to tackle Sho to the ground. His eyes widened as a foot met his stomach and redirected him over the downed Sho. He landed hard on his back and groaned as they lay in the same position several feet away from each other. Souji managed to rise first, plucking his sword off the ground and grabbing a handful of Sho's collar. After hefting him up, he let go stepped back. Sho took a breath before growling and shaking his head irritably. "The hell did you run for?"

"You were calling attention to us."

"_I_ was? You're the one who was doing all the flashy bullshit."

"It was practical."

"It was stupid."

Sho slammed his forehead against Souji's, the two staring each other down and pushing against each other. No ground was given, and they both wore a grin that screamed a challenge to the other. "I don't see you winning this fight."

"I don't care what you think. I was destroying you before ya packed up and ran."

"Here now. What are you gonna do about it?"

The murderous aura emanating from both of them permeated the air, and it only grew heavier until a voice jolted Souji out of his apparent battle trance. "Souji-kun!"

His eyes darted to a certain detective arriving at the scene with what looked like Kanji playing the enforcer. His focus went back to Sho as they backed away from each other and slowly circled around. "Hi, Naoto."

"What are you doing? You can't just fight wherever you feel like!"

"It wasn't my idea-"

"Tell 'er the truth!"

"...wasn't my idea, _entirely_."

"...That's better."

"Well, stop it! We just returned, you've barely recovered from the earlier encounters!"

Sho stopped and looked from Souji to Naoto strangely, pointing to the former with a padded sword point. "What's she talkin' about?"

"Uhh...kind of a long story."

"Fight or talk. Your choice."

"Huh. Fine. TV's, new bad guy, fighting, winning, losing, et cetera. Now, why are you here?"

"You still didn't beat me!"

Souji spun his sword and dropped into a ready stance. "Let's change that."

Kanji slapped the back of his head and crossed his arms as Souji gave him a look. "Didn't ya hear her? She said stop it."

Souji looked from Kanji to Naoto, sighing and nodding as he dropped the sword. "...Sorry."

Sho was taken aback by the supposed leader's quick surrender, shouting in anger and brandishing his swords at Souji as he turned neatly on his heel to leave. "Where the hell do you think you're-"

"I'm going home. If you want to fight me again, meet me at Junes tomorrow."

He waved lazily over his shoulder in a manner that practically mirrored that strange detective Sho met the year of the P1, stunning him into silence as he sheathed his swords. "See ya."

He snorted irritably at that, shrugging and walking towards the gazebo.

"Yeah...whatever."

_Pi-pi-pi-pi-pi…_

Sho looked down at his pocket and groaned, fishing it out and putting it to his ear while pressing the small green button. "What?"

"_Ya fought him, didn't you?"_

"Uhh...no-"

"_You're a terrible liar. What did I say?"_

"...Not to fight him on first sight?"

"_And what did you do?"_

"Hey, since when were you my boss? I'll do what I want; if you don't like it, then come on and-"

"_Do you really want me to give you the friendship talk while the creator of it's right next door?"_

Sho pulled the phone from his ear and grimaced at it, replacing it as he muttered, "...Guh, no."

"_Then do what you were assigned to do! Help them however you can."_

"...Fine."

"_Did they ask why you were there?"_

"...Yeah?"

"_You-...you told 'em, right?"_

"About that…"

Souji slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked out of the floodplain with Kanji and Naoto in tow. The detective sped her pace up to walk by his while Kanji followed at his own, slightly slower gait. "First off, are you hurt?"

He smiled fondly at her and shook his head, sighing softly as he rolled his neck and felt a soft crack. "The ground hurt more than he did. I had to leave the shopping district because I didn't want to risk him attacking others."

"I'm glad you did...we still don't know why he's back."

"Mm. We'll find out tomorrow if he shows."

"Naoto-kun, aren't you like...mad at him? I mean, you seem really lax about all this."

The couple looked back at Kanji with a knowing smile, thoroughly confusing the artisan regarding the exact meaning behind it. Naoto spoke after reaching over to squeeze Souji's arm, nodding to herself as she thought up her answer. "I would've been upset, rest assured, but...they were fighting with wooden swords, not real weapons."

She gave Souji a meaningful look as he glanced at her before focusing on the road. "He's not here to kill you, at least."

"True."

"And I suppose we're going to have to meet him again tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Eh, we're all losin' it if we're just letting the punk join us."

Souji looked back at Kanji strangely, inquiring with a wave of his hand, "What makes you think he's joining us?"

"'Cause everyone you talk to that can fight worth anything joins us somehow."

Naoto shrugged when he gazed at her, agreeing with, "He has a point. Dojima-san would probably fight if he could and he knew."

Souji chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head, mumbling, "Let's...avoid that possibility."

[- - -]

"So why did you get Kanji to come along?"

Souji blew gently on his hot chocolate and took a sip as he sat on the floor in front of Naoto's TV. Naoto followed his act after draping the towel from her shower onto the back of the couch he was leaning on. She sat as he handed her a mug he had waiting for her, smiling as she thanked him quietly. Taking a small sip and sighing as warmth suffused through her, she rested her head carefully on his shoulder. It felt good to relax with him after the stress of today, especially after being able to extract him from another fight that was all but guaranteed to promise injury. She closed her eyes and smiled as she recalled the incident. "Rise-san's grandmother called, said a 'red-haired delinquent' was attacking you."

"Pretty solid description."

She laughed softly at Souji's deadpan tone, humming in agreement before continuing with, "Mhm. After that, I called Kanji-kun. In his words he claimed he was going to 'hand you your ass'."

"Yeah?"

"Among other, more violent versions of the threat, yes."

"I don't think that equates to a slap on the wrist...or the head."

He touched the back of his head about how even his inner self had a tendency to slap him. Naoto noticed the tick and snuggled into him, careful not to spill either of their drinks. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Heh, no. Just thinking about stuff."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as she leisurely sipped more of her cocoa. "Can we talk about what happened in the TV today?"

Souji blinked once, then asked, "Which part?"

"After I was...knocked out. What happened?"

"Er...we fought for a while, and I thought I was wearing him down. That Persona of his is pretty powerful; managed to pin my arms. While I was disabled, he...showed me things. One of which I...I don't want to talk about right now."

Naoto put her cup on the table and looked up at him, quickly shuffling up to take his face in her hands. His eyes met her own, and there was some vulnerability visible even as he managed to bury it expertly. "And that reminded you of…"

"...Yeah."

She hugged his face to her chest, wrapping her arms around him as his own came up to link around her back. Her tone was sincere as she murmured, "I'm sorry. If I'd been more careful-"

"You couldn't have seen a hit to the back of the head coming. Doubt many people can."

He took her chin in his hand as she slowly sank to his level, smiling as brightly as he could to lift her spirits. "Come on. Smile for me?"

She complied after a moment; her smile was small, but it was also genuine. He guided her onto his lap, which she followed with natural grace, and he put his empty cup quietly on the table next to hers. "Better?"

"Yep. Make a note; when we have some real peace and quiet, you and I are going on a date."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Pulling out all the stops. I owe you that much."

Her eyes practically glowed with affection as they shared smiles; that warm feeling that everything would be okay burned brighter with the gesture. She kissed him gently and pulled away just as he leaned into it, putting a finger to his lips as she shook her head and whispered, "I'm looking forward to it."

He smiled against her hand before she withdrew it, letting her fingers run through his hair as he adjusted himself to sit more comfortably. Capturing her lips with his, he made a happy little noise as she melded into his touch. This wasn't the first time they cuddled in front of the TV; it wouldn't be long before they fell asleep anyhow.

* * *

**Aah, beginning and ending a chapter with the cuddles. Anyhow, I'm sure you can tell another action-oriented chapter will be next. My mind is kinda blank from finishing the chapter, so I'll leave it at that. **

**Till next time. *salutes and leaves***


	12. Breaking the Limits

**Action chapter.**

**I've been thinking; should I be recommending some kind of music to listen to when big/important fights are going on?**

**I dunno. If you want, I could include the name of a song that fits the fight at hand from now on. Till then, I'll leave it to your discretion. **

**Anyway, this chapter's kind of a reference to how you should be careful not to take on bosses that are over your level. RPG's, huh?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Kirijo speaking."_

"Thanks for answering on such short notice, Mitsuru-san. I'm assuming sending Sho over was your plan, or…?"

"_It wasn't, actually. I only approved his mission after Labrys came to me. He's much better than how he acted during the P1 incident."_

"So, I can trust him?"

"_Well...the best assurance I can over you is that he won't attack you."_

"Too late for that…"

"_Excuse me?"_

"Nothing. Thank you for sending him to help."

"_Will that be all? I apologize, but I have a meeting I must prepare for."_

"Hm...does Labrys have a phone?"

"_She doesn't need one. Her UI acts as a communicator; it accepts cell numbers just as well as any phone. I'll email you her number?"_

"Thanks. I'll let you go now."

"_Alright. It was good to hear from you again, Souji-san."_

"Likewise. Good luck."

Souji pocketed his phone but fished it back out as it chimed to let him know he received an email. He looked at the phone number included in Mitsuru's email and nodded approvingly. Naoto walked into the kitchen just then, fetching a piece of cold sushi from the fridge and eating it. "All ready to go?"

She chewed for a moment as she mentally listed out everything she needed, then nodded. "Mhm. I'm bringing extra pencils if I'm not going with you today."

"Sorry."

"Please, don't apologize. It's for the best if you switch party members out."

Souji nodded absently as he checked his phone, unaware that Naoto had silently walked up to him. He blinked at her in surprise but otherwise said nothing. "Are you okay with going back in again? It's only been a day."

Souji watched her for a moment before reaching behind her neck and pulling the hoodie over her head. She gave him a strange look as he shrugged and said, "I was curious. It's a good look for you."

She was in the process of putting the hood down but stopped dead as he leaned down to her eyes, put a hand next to his mouth and whispered, "Or should I have said I wanted to keep your beauty hidden from the eyes of the world?"

He took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it, smiling at the rosy blush that flared across her cheeks at his showiness. "My Detective Princess."

She pulled her hand away and hastily threw the hood back, glancing at her hand and back to Souji as she muttered, "W-what are you on about now…?"

He snickered slyly as her focus went from fixing her hair and back to him; some things never change. "I'm serious, though. If you need to rest, we can have someone else go."

He looked at her again, smiling and putting a gentle hand on her shoulder at the concerned shine in her eyes. "Don't worry about me. I'm used to the workout."

"Just...don't overdo it?"

His hand found hers and squeezed gently, the other reaching out to open the door. "I'll do my best."

Naoto knew he wouldn't say 'I promise'; with present circumstances, that was almost impossible to guarantee. His best would have to do for now, so she smiled and thanked him as they made their way out of the apartment.

[- - -]

"Oh."

"...Oh."

Sho looked up from whetting his sword blades, the twin weapons shining faintly as he treated them with loving care. Souji mused briefly about how swords got more respect from Sho than he did, but ignored it in favor of a short nod of his head. "So you showed up."

"Yeah. I did. I, uh...probably should explain why I'm here."

This was new; his behavior was far less aggressive compared to the overt threats and outright tantrums of the past. His tone still held a bit of irritation at the whole ordeal, but it was still a...welcome change. "If you're willing."

"I'm not. But I don't really have a choice."

Sho sheathed his swords and placed them in his belt, adjusting them until they were comfortable before continuing. "Kirijo caught wind of your little problem. She's busy doing nothing, so Lab-...so the toaster said she should send me."

"Why you?"

"Wish I knew. Said it'd be a good chance to show I've 'changed for the better'." Sho practically spat the words out before muttering quietly, "Stupid girl."

Souji sensed no real aggression behind the last part, furthering his theory that the lone wolf had somewhat been tamed. "Did anyone show you around the war room?"

"Tch…'war room'...no. I'm keepin' my stuff somewhere else. Don't you worry about it."

"...Alright, then. Naoto…"

He turned to see that Naoto was already tinkering around with her equipment at her bench, a multitude of tools provided by Teddie (and arguably, Yosuke) lined up neatly in a row. "...never mind."

Sho chuckled darkly, adjusting his swords again and messing with his collar. He sat on the floor outside the room and waved Souji away as he said, "I'm heading in there with you, so just holler when it's time to go."

"...Right."

The rest of the team greeted him when he entered save for Naoto, for obvious reasons. She was fiddling now with something that looked like a larger cylinder for her revolver. Souji clapped his hands once as he made it to the info board, only briefly scanning the contents before turning to his friends. "Nothing new to report other than the proxy has a name- Dao."

"..."

"Good talk. Anyway, I'll be heading in today with...Rise-"

"Whoo! Finally!"

"Yosuke…"

"Huh. Sweet."

...and Sho."

"WHAT?!"

Souji swore he felt some of his hair being blown back by the opposition of his decision. Yosuke was the first to speak again, gesturing frantically to the door. "What do you mean you're bringing _him_?"

"He's not here to kill me-"

"Not yet, at least!"

Souji sighed and shouted towards the offender who happened to be sitting outside. "You, pipe down!"

He looked down for a moment, and, after taking a deep breath, continued. "I have to gauge him somehow. He's not immediately dangerous, so I can work with him. Okay? Besides, I have an idea."

"...Gonna elaborate?"

"Nah," Souji leaned closer to his partner, "He'll hear. Trust me, it'll be good."

Yosuke saw the mischievous grin on Souji's face as he whispered to him, and that was enough assurance that he'd handle Sho just fine. "Fine. Good thing I'm going; I gotta see this."

"Yep. Get ready, we'll be going soon."

Souji patted Yosuke's shoulder as he walked past, motioning to Rise to follow his past the info board. Curiosity practically emanated from the idol as she watched him stop and turn on his heel, sly grin still present. He bade her come closer with a hand, leaning over to whisper something. Naoto watched for a moment before smiling, shaking her head, and packing her tools away. Taking a pencil, she also picked up a pen and briefly contemplated which would be better to use. "Sho, get in here!"

The redhead walked in and looked around with curiosity that was lazily hidden, his sight focusing on the info board, then the arcade cabinet in the corner. "Huh. Not bad."

"...Thanks. We're heading in."

Rise went first, followed by Yosuke. Souji lingered for a moment to gaze at Naoto, who cocked her head inquisitively in response. "Yes?"

He took his hand off the TV to shrug, smiling softly as she put her writing utensil dilemma to the side. "Wish me luck?"

Naoto considered his question, then smiled. Walking over, she pulled him down by his collar and kissed his cheek, whispering, "good luck," as she let him go. She took up a pen and walked over to the info board, intent on updating the information, but she turned again as he stood watching her for a moment. Making a little shooing motion and with a gentle smile, she said, "Go on. Don't let me keep you here."

Sho grabbed Souji's shoulder and pulled the lovestruck leader along, growling, "Great, you got her damn blessing, now come on!"

There was no reaction as Sho practically hurled him into the TV, sticking a foot in as he turned his head to Naoto and said, "You got the moron wrapped around your finger, don't ya."

Despite the past with him, Naoto was still polite to almost everyone, and all she did was shrug as Sho fitted the rest of himself into the portal.

[- - -]

Dao played idly with his mask as he felt the air somehow grow lighter. Just as his guest arrived, he slipped it back onto his face and rose. "Ah...Dao."

"Old man."

"...How have you been?"

"Skip the pleasantries. I've been having a damn blast! Destroying the embodiment of one's mind, y'know.? Gives you that little jolt."

"I suppose it is too late to tell you that what you're doing is not the way."

"I don't care. My way is mine, alone. You taught me that in the past."

The light fog in the area cleared slightly, allowing Dao to see the man with the immaculate suit and walking cane more clearly. Somehow, seeing him again made him want to throw up. Ignoring the twist in his gut, Dao leaned forward mockingly and said with a sardonic tone, "Isn't that right, Igor?"

The man in question flashed one of his rare frowns and tapped his cane on the floor. Dao simply smiled and materialized his glaive. "What? Did I offend you? _Remind you of something_?"

Igor simply watched as Dao dashed towards him, glaive raised over his shoulder as he roared from behind his mask. "HUH?! ANSWER ME!"

[- - -]

Sho landed near the other three who were exploring, shaking his head of the dizziness from the fall; it had been awhile since he threw himself into weird monster world. And in far more different circumstances…

"Okay! Now before we set off, I want to lay down some ground rules."

"What is this, a field trip?"

"Not exactly."

Souji and Rise grinned deviously at Sho, which only furthered the man's worry about where exactly this was going. "Now, just to make sure I can trust you, I'm gonna have to make sure you won't hurt my friends."

"So...you're fair game."

"Eh...you can't beat me anyway."

"What?! I'm gonna-"

Souji crossed his arms and leaned to the side a bit as Sho drew his swords and advanced angrily. "Rise."

"Got it."

Sho cocked his head quizzically before he jumped with literal shock as Kouzeon electrocuted him with a sentinel bit. "Gah-ah-ah-ah-ah!"

He glowered at the two angrily as smoke rose from his body, and his shouting was accompanied by frenzied gesturing. "What the hell was that for?! I didn't do shit!"

"Hahahahah! Oh, you were _not_ lying at _all_!"

Souji raised an eyebrow at that, and Sho dialed back his tone somewhat. "...Yet."

Meanwhile, Yosuke was doubled over with laughter, and Souji noticed that Rise was keeping her own laughter back valiantly. The leader patted Sho's back and wafted some smoke off his hand afterwards, but smiled regardless. "That's better. Let's go."

"Ugh- you motherf-"

"Rise?"

"NO!"

[- - -]

Igor felt sparks fly past his face as Dao's attack was intercepted by one of the Velvet siblings. Dao simply growled and pressed harder against Theodore's palm. "Get out. Of my way."

"That I cannot do."

The two broke the clash and skidded a few feet apart as Igor neatly sidestepped, both parties facing each other with barely contained anger. "You would show your face to us again, only to attack the Proprietor?"

"I'm not gonna tell you again. He and I have a score to settle."

"I bear no ill intent towards you, Dao. I only wish that you stop attacking the Attendants."

"What? Not gonna preach to me about how you wanna defend your boy? That _hero, _Souji Seta?"

Igor remained silent as Dao raved, his slow walk forward breaking into a run towards Theodore as he did. "No? Fine. I'll send him your regards!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mask ornament; he crushed it in his palm and let the dust run from his fingers before attacking Theo again. "Let's see how he stands against king and queen!"

Theodore and Igor's eyes widened as they realized just what Dao had done, the former pushing him back with a powerful palm. Dao simply chuckled and swung at Theo again, forcing the man to lift his foot and sweep the ground with a powerful kick using his other leg. "You would send them after the boy…?"

A knee smashed into Dao's chin, sending him flying back a few feet. He recovered with a neat roll and flexed his neck, stifling a laugh as he ground his next words out. "Damn right I would. Let's see if your favorite patron is as powerful as I expect."

[- - -]

Souji redirected a Rainy Brother into a Rainy Sister that Yosuke kicked at him, the two dashing into the colliding shadows and impaling them from both sides. They drew their weapons out and stood back-to-back as Rise bounced out of the way of an attack.

"Dance, Kouzeon!"

Rise cheered as she smashed her mic staff into a Primitive Idol, sending it into slightly the air as her Persona used a magic bit to blast it with beams of light. She grinned as an Intrepid Knight loomed over her, and she whirled and struck a pose as Kouzeon cast Tetrakarn on her. The shadow was blasted back as its own attack was rebounded onto it, only to be finished off by Sho sinking both swords into its back and using it as a launchpad, flipping and pulling his swords free as he flew forward. He brought both blades down onto a pair of Crazy Twins, continuing the onslaught with a series of slashes that went in every which way, making dodging practically impossible. He stabbed each respective twin with a sword, using the handles for a boost to jump and grab their faces. "Disappear."

Tsukiyomi appeared behind him and raised his hands in front of him, engulfing the Twins in dark fire. Sho retrieved his swords as they disappeared, his Persona following suit in a flash. He spun them both and sheathed them smoothly, prompting Souji to remark as he hefted his katana onto his shoulder, "You've changed a lot."

"Huh?"

"I dunno...I haven't heard a lot of maniacal laughter. Or, y'know, the word 'die' repeated over and over."

"Well, I think-"

_BOOM-_

The four were blasted with a cloud of dust from a building farther away splitting apart and collapsing. It looked like shards of ice had encased the debris, completely shattering the pieces as they fell. Souji broke into a cold sweat as the sky darkened and the ground started to thump rhythmically, as if heavy footsteps were disturbing it. His necklace started to hum slightly against his chest, as if warning him that something ominous was coming his way. Looking from Rise to Yosuke, he swallowed nervously and made his decision. "Rise! You have to go- now!"

"Wha? But, Senpai, I-"

Souji caught a glimpse of something metallic over the horizon, the sight leading him to frantically search his pockets for the spare Goho-M he always carried. Running over to Rise, he forced it into her hand and grabbed her by the shoulders. The idol watched him, wide-eyed, as he imparted his instructions to her. "Whatever that...thing is, it's too dangerous. You have to go- I can't risk you getting hurt!"

"W-what about you three?"

"We'll handle it. I'm sorry, but you can't take as much punishment as us."

Rise watched the almost-panic in his eyes before relenting and taking a step back. "I...fine. But you better not go dying on us! Naoto-kun would kill me."

Souji smiled despite the nearing threat, his expression turning serious as he waved her off and started off towards the new enemy. "I promise. Now go!"

He started off on a run towards the towering shadow, Yosuke following him soon after. Sho was already farther ahead, facing down the street they were standing on with swords in each hand.

"_Senpai!"_

"Rise? Did you make it out?"

"_Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm leaving you guys behind! We're going back as a team."_

Souji chuckled breathlessly, mentally thanking his lucky stars for having such loyal comrades. He was finally able to see what was causing all the destruction as it turned the corner onto the road they were guarding; a shade was walking towards them. It was a towering hunk of intricate looking metal, but closer inspection revealed that there were two sides to this coin.

Literally.

Its head was double-sided, a mask on each 'face'. One side was sharp and rough, with masculine features emphasized; a half a crown rested on top. The other side's was adorned with softer features, half a tiara sitting on its head. The shade's body was much more ambiguous; it wore a metallic robe, with frills that looked like blades on the ends of its sleeves. A cloth fluttered proudly off its back, oddly enough looking like a cross between a shawl and a tattered cape. It held a grand greatsword easily in its right hand, while the other held a strange looking orb.

"_Senpai, I have a bad feeling about-"_

Whatever she was trying to say fizzled out, as the shade raised its left hand and let the orb crackle with lightning. Alarm bells went off in Souji's head as he saw Yosuke start to panic a bit. "Izanagi."

Souji raised his sword, imploring his Persona to do the same just as a powerful Maziodyne spell was released. Their blades acted as a lightning rod, absorbing the lightning and restoring some of Souji's energy as he redirected it back to the shade. The feminine mask (Souji decided to dub it the Empress, in regards to the Arcana trend), whirled to face them, and the shade's body simply accepted the counterattack without any real damage. Sho wound around it and used Tsukiyomi's scythe to cleave into its back; the black blade cutting deep into its back. Before he could react, however, the shade dropped its sword and reached unnaturally behind it to grab him. "Dammit- !"

Sho tried to stab its hands with his own swords, but it had raised him and threw him through a window of one of the surrounding skyscrapers. Souji took a defensive stance and cast Rakukaja on both him and Yosuke. "_Kouzeon scanned Sho. He's...down for the count, but he's stable. You two are going to have to manage for now."_

"Huh. That leaves you and me, buddy."

"Yep. I can't take tosses through buildings very well, so...that might be a slight problem."

"I got you. Just keep out of the range of its-"

He had no time to finish; the shade had stormed forward with the Emperor mask facing forward, easily closing the distance between it and its prey despite its size. Yosuke darted to the side and Souji raised his katana to stab the shade's mask just before its fist reached him.

[- - -]

"What's that for, Nao-chan?"

Naoto looked up from the supplies she was gathering and neatly arranging in a little red bag with a white cross emblazoned on it. "Hello, Teddie. This is a first-aid kit. I was thinking that we should have at least basic care on hand just in case."

"...That's smart."

"Thank you. Are you alright? You're acting sort of...off, today."

Teddie smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head; a habit he picked up from none other than Souji himself. "I dunno. I guess I'm kinda worried about Rise-chan."

"Don't worry. Souji-kun can protect her."

"But...isn't Sensei more reckless than some of us? I mean, you must be worried that you can't be setting him straight right now!"

Naoto smiled as Teddie elbowed her arm with a sly wink, gesturing for him to follow her into the war room and to her workbench. "I know. But I trust him to make the right decisions. There's a reason he led us with minimal incident during the case."

"You're right there. He's got a knack for leading, huh?

"True."

Naoto dropped the first aid kit on the table near her workbench and turned to Teddie with a small smile. "Souji-kun also has a knack for throwing himself into the fray."

[- - -]

"Oof-"

Souji was sent flying back by a heavy blow, skidding along the ground for a few feet before coming to a stop. Yosuke was sent flying after him, but Izanagi caught him and deposited him on the ground before disappearing. A quick check saw that Yosuke was unconscious, too, but there was not time to revive him as Souji felt his feet being frozen to the ground, futilely raising his katana in an attempt to block as the Emperor's fist slammed into him. The impact sent him flying from his low prison, bouncing once before coming to a stop, He blinked as his cheek rested on the earth, Rise's desperate plea echoing in his ear. "_Senpai! Please, stand up!"_

_..._

_Damn, I'm...losing consciousness. We bit off more than we could chew this time..._

…

_Am I too weak?_

Souji tried to rise, but the effort was in vain as he fell back down. The momentum threw the mask coin out of his shirt, leaving him lying on the ground as he eyed it warily. "You've gotta….be kidding."

His fingers reached out to touch the coin, feeling the metallic texture warm his skin. It felt oddly...inviting. He gasped as he felt his mind dulling, hastily grabbing the coin and forming the 'II' mask. He had scarcely placed it on his face when his vision inverted for a moment; his focus restored and he found his way to his feet before long. His posture allowed him to slouch lazily before righting himself and forming a card in a raised palm. His voice both belonged to him and didn't when he spoke, but the echo did its job nonetheless.

"You're going _down_."

Souji rose slightly into the air as Magatsu Izanagi appeared behind him. He clenched his fist in front of him as the Persona roared, a blast blowing the Emperor back as Souji felt his energy being renewed. The Chariot mask now adorned his face, letting raw power course through his veins as his feet touched the ground. The Emperor called a large assortment of shadows to surround Souji but he simply dug his feet in and raised his katana in an offensive stance, muttering. "Fine. Step up if you want to die!"

[- - -]

Dao was sent flying back by another heavy kick from Theodore, landing neatly on his feet as he dropped his glaive. "I can do this all day."

Theo put one hand behind his back and let his other one dangle lazily in front of him, ready to attack Dao if need be. "Come then. I will down you as many times as I must."

The two dashed towards each other and were about to meet fists again, but an attack intercepted Dao and dragged him off to the side. He got a good look at the perpetrator and grew even more annoyed. "You…"

Margaret stared him down, ignoring the mask in favor grabbing his hood by the nape and slamming him into the ground. She teleported back to join Theodore, the two siblings taking an alert stance back-to-back. Dao laughed loudly as he lay grounded, performing a nip-up and putting his arms akimbo as he walked towards them. "Margs! I missed you!"

The secretary glared at him, stepping forward as Theo circled around. "I cannot say I feel the same."

"Aw...as cold as ever." He blocked an axe kick from Theo with a raised arm and an elbow to the stomach with his knee. "Aah, this attention. Makes me feel loved."

His threw his hands up to throw them both off balance, stomping the ground to blow them back a few feet. He slouched forward a bit in a lazy stance and chuckled. "Come on. Let's dance."

[- - -]

Souji batted away a Large Basalt, grabbing it out of the air and hurling it like a baseball at a small contingent of Hableries. Turning, he kicked a Sleeping Table's leg out and dropped his katana, planting both hands under it and flipping it straight onto a Grand Magus. He grunted as an Almighty Hand punched him in the back, but his snatched up his katana and dispatched it before it could attack again. The mask was almost burning against his face as his muscles were starting to groan under the strain of all the fighting, but he spun with his eyes now intent on a single target. "_Senpai, be careful!"_

The shade saw Souji begin to swing his blade, changing its orientation so the Emperor was facing him. His eyes flashed from behind the mask, and he crossed his hands in front of himself, only to tear them back in a blast that forced the shade orientation back to its original. A hefty kick dented its side, and it was sent reeling by another foot straight to the mask. The material cracked and splintered under the crushing impact, and Souji used the boon to bring his sword over his head and carve the Empress mask in half. His eyes glowed faintly as the Emperor loomed over him, beckoning with one hand and resting his katana over his shoulder. "C'mon. _I'll show you who the real king is_."

[- - -]

"Hmm...exceptional fighting ability….powerful Persona- I'll note that down later -and…"

Naoto scowled at the updated picture of Dao and continued writing with deeper impressions than before; it was a wonder that her pencil wasn't splintering under the pressure. "..._and_ enough strength to knock someone unconscious in one hit."

She considered the last line for a moment then shook her head, crossing it out soon after. "That won't help anyone."

Now came the interesting part.

"Souji-kun told me the Persona's name was...Ouroboros? Hmm...a snake biting its own tail…"

Naoto's hand worked unconsciously as she called on her knowledge of the serpent. "Aside from the references...it seems to have a tool for every situation."

Her drawing was coming together rather nicely, but she drew more simplistic versions of the same snake, only these were doing more complex maneuvers based on information given. "He could, uh...use it to attack all around him when Yosuke and I were fighting him."

"Alright…there."

Naoto decided to take a break just then, putting her pencil down and leaning on the table. She accepted a bottle of juice from Chie with a quiet thanks, taking a sip as the fighter asked her, "Were you mad that Souji-kun didn't bring you with him?"  
"No? I don't have any reason to be."

"You trust him a lot, huh?"

This time Naoto smiled, nodding and looking at the TV, as if Souji would come shooting out at any moment.

[- - -]

A katana fell from numbed fingers as Souji staggered towards the remains of his overkill. The clouds in the sky gradually cleared into a dull grey as he stopped, a heavy breath tumbling out of his mouth. "_Senpai? Are you okay?"_

"I'm...fine- gah. Can you…"

Souji pulled off the mask as his mind lurched, the strain finally kicking in as his adrenaline rush wore off. The shade lay in a rapidly dissolving heap, lightning still crackling around its remains as the Emperor mask lay on the floor untouched. The halves of the Empress mask lay scattered about, waiting to be collected. He wobbled slightly, almost threatening to lose his balance, but he still was forced to take a knee as the 'II' mask fell from his fingers. "...get us...out of here."

"_S-Senpai? Senpai!"_

He fell on his back as his vision grew dim, and his eyes slowly slipped shut as he felt sleep overtake him completely. The last thing he felt was light engulfing him as he was lifted into the air slightly. _Ah...she heard me._

_...Good._

[- - -]

"Thank you. I'm glad you were able to take him in on such short notice."

"It's no trouble, really. He only needs some good rest and he'll be good as new."

"That's...good to hear."

"I'm sure. Please, call if you need anything, anything at all."

"Thank you."

Souji opened his eyes wearily, looking around as his vision adjusted to the the light. He tried to rise from where he was lying, but a gentle hand on his chest pushed him back onto the sheets. He blinked once as his eyes found Naoto sitting on the side of the bed he was in, concern showing in her eyes as she smiled softly at him. "You're awake."

"Ugh-...yeah, I am. Where, um...where are we?"

Naoto kept smiling, but the sentiment didn't reach her eyes as she looked away and to the door of the room they were occupying. "The hospital. We had to admit you here...I'm sorry, but it was necessary."

Souji was puzzled by this; he felt just fine. A little tired, but still well enough to function. "What for?"

She looked at him again and reached over to take his hand as he reached for hers. "Exhaustion. Whatever you did pushed your body a bit too far. No other serious injuries, so I must thank you for not getting hurt too badly."

"What about Yosuke and Sho? Are they-"

Naoto put a finger to his lips and shushed him gently. "Shh. Rest for now. They're both fine. It won't be long till they're both on their feet again."

"Oh...good."

He sighed and relaxed, taking in a deep breath and wincing a bit. She gave him a worried look as he tried to shift a bit onto his side, pulling the blanket he was under over his shoulders. "Souji-kun…?"

"...Mm?"

"What...what happened?"

* * *

**So. Souji kind of has an Overdrive mode. Hope it was interesting, at least. I took focus off his fight to divide it among other scenes going on along with his fight. I hope it wasn't confusing because of the three different scenarios, but I wanted to experiment a bit.**


	13. Invitation

**I kinda...put minimal focus on one of the party members today. Sorry. :)**

* * *

Theodore was blown back by a kick to the chin from Dao, the latter fighter grinning despite his own numerous injuries. "Felt that, did ya?"

Margaret teleported above him and crashed knee-first into his back, looping an arm around his neck and throwing him backwards. He stopped his flight path with a gust of air behind him, with both of them landing at the same time. Dao put his hood back up as he felt Igor staring at him, brushing dust off his suit and sighing. "You ripped my suit."

Theo's fist slammed into his face, and he felt a hand grabbing his tie until he suddenly found himself being bodily lifted and thrown over a shoulder. Dao grinned as Theo loomed over his, fist at the ready, and he spun around with his legs pointing straight out as he leapt to his feet. "Ouroboros."

The snake blinked into existence behind him, and he let it coil gently around his arm before he threw it into the air.

"_...What do you mean…?"_

_Dao adjusted his tie awkwardly, trying to find something to alleviate the stress he felt building up. After all...he had just heard some...disconcerting news._

"_It is...as I said. It's necessary for her to-"_

"_For you to murder her? Is that it?"_

_This was outrageous. "A-and you're telling me this...why? Trying to piss me off? Want to see my reaction to sacrificing my sister?"_

"_...Dao, I-"_

"_Shut up. I don't give a damn what else you have to say."_

_Dao felt a lump in his throat for a moment, but he swallowed it and managed to grind out. "...I don't need this shit. I...I need some time to clear my head."_

_The old man remained silent as Dao left where they were having their talk, walking to nowhere in particular until he felt his arm being grabbed by…"Theo. Kid. Let go. Now."_

"_Dao, please, wait for a minute. Elizabeth will be here and we can-"_

_He was cut off by a growl, followed quickly by a mutter of, "You must not like that arm."_

"_Dao. Don't you understand why we-"_

"_No. I don't. I don't think I ever will, and I don't care."_

_He yanked his arm free of Theo's grip and walked away, finding her only a few minutes later. She smiled up at him, unaware of what he knew and what she didn't. What was he supposed to do other than smile back? _

"Sfagí."

Igor's eyes widened, and Dao could only grin at the urgency in the man's voice as he shouted, "Margaret! Theodore!"

Dao's Persona bit into its tail, and its eyes glowed at the very ground they stood on seemed to quake under its power. The Velvet siblings clocked onto what was happening from their master's warning, but it was too late. Dao's laughter was the last thing they hear before the world went black in a burst of static.

[- - -]

"What...what happened?"

Souji moved his legs over and motioned for Naoto to make herself comfortable, so she sat cross legged in the gap space he made for her. Granted, the sight was rather strange, but that was nothing new. "I guess I should start off by apologizing. I, um...we weren't ready. We got stuck in a real bad spot, and...I had to use the masks again."

Naoto, strangely, didn't look angry, or upset. If anything, she looked as if she knew already. Anything she was going to chide him about was summed up in a word that was laced with both dull surprise and unease. "Oh."

"I'm sorry."

"I can't exactly fault you for doing what you thought was right…the best I can say is for you to take more measures to be careful."

Souji frowned slightly at the look on her face; it was aloof, as if she was distracted by something. His mind drew the conclusion quickly, but he chose not to speak on it. Instead, he asked, "So, how long have I been out?"

"A few hours at most. You were actually expected to awaken much later."

She smiled softly and glanced at him, something approaching pride in her tone as she said, "I suppose that's just your natural resolve."

"I guess…are you okay?"

Naoto swallowed nervously and glance around the room; hospitals weren't exactly a source of comfort for her. White walls and aloof staff melded with bad memories to make a generally unsavory combination. "I'm fine. Heh, here you are in a hospital bed and you're still worried about me."

She looked at him again and saw his arm outstretched towards her, a half-smile on his face as she regarded him with mild surprise. "Souji-kun, this is hardly the time for your cuddling."

"I disagree. Any time my Naoto is sad is cuddle time."

Naoto looked at him with mock confusion, relenting soon after with a smile. She crawled on the sheets and fell softly into his arms. As he wrapped an arm around her waist, she snuggled carefully against him and drew her legs up. "I can barely follow your logic sometimes…"

"Mhm. But you enjoy it."

She scoffed softly and closed her eyes, refusing to let him see her smile as she murmured, "You're not wrong."

If Souji hear what she said, he didn't comment, but what she did notice was his arms relaxing around her waist and holding her a little tighter. They both rested in the comfortable silence, making Naoto even more reluctant to leave, but she had to. "Souji-kun…?"

She craned her neck a bit and looked at his face, but her heart almost melted at what she saw. He was sleeping now, a content smile on his lips as she touched the hand that was around her. It just then occurred to her that the whole reason he was stuck in this room in the first place was because he was sacrificing himself yet again for the sake of his friends. She looked at the window and gazed at the sunset, concluding that nothing productive could really be done at such a late hour. Nuzzling back into him with a small smile, she mumbled as fatigue slowly caught up with her, "...Never mind."

[- - -]

"Hey."

The girl looked up from where she was sitting, nodding quietly and going back to staring at the city. Buildings were standing tall, as if they were built on strong foundations, but anyone could see the decay, the weakness. She didn't react when the man sat next to her and feigned admiration of the ruins. "Are you okay?"

"..."

"I know you have a voice. C'mon."

"You look like you got wrecked."

He chuckled and looked down at his suit, taking the splintered mask off his face and sighing wistfully. The girl watched for a moment, briefly interested in how his head was practically a black flame with eyes now, and she felt a twinge of sorrow for him. Apparently, he noticed. "What? Am I still gonna be pretty after all this?"

"Hm…"

"...I'll be fine. They were just...more than I thought."

"But less than you hoped?"

"Heh, I wish. No, I just feel...empty."

"Such is revenge."

"I guess so- agh…"

The girl looked at him and shook her head, smacking him over the back of the head. "Ow. Why?"

"You're staying behind. I'm going to fight."

"Whoa, whoa- no. No- hell, no. No! No….Nnno."

"Dao, I-"

"No."

Her hand, which was resting on her lap from hitting him, backhanded him curtly. His reaction was...unamused. "...Why are you so focused on fighting for me?"

"Look at you."

Humor was evident in her tone as she stood and put a hand on his shoulder, something Dao picked up on and didn't particularly appreciate. "You really don't have to get any uglier."

"Haaaah...fine. Go."

"That's just mean...can't give your sister a 'good luck'?"

Dao scoffed, looking at at the girl and saying with actual sincerity, "...Good luck, Jisi."

[- - -]

Naoto awoke a few hours later, glancing blearily around and noting that she was under a blanket; Souji was strangely absent from the small bed. "You're up, huh?"

Sitting up, she watched him smile at her from where he was standing at the window. As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and silently chided herself for falling asleep while Souji was technically hospitalized, he asked, "Sleep well?"

Naoto couldn't help but smile inwardly at the odd circumstances; the patient was basically a nurse, and the visitor had become the patient. Despite this, she quickly got off the bed and pointed to it resolutely, earning a raised eyebrow from Souji as she said, "Souji."

He gave her a look. "Bed. Now."

"Y'know, the last time you said that was-"

"Stop. I have handcuffs, and I will use them."

"...Not helping much-"

"Souji!"

"Fine, fine."

Souji obediently climbed back into the bed and made a show of putting the blanket over his legs, waving his hands comically at her when he finished the strenuous task. "Ta-da."

She sighed exasperatedly and flicked his forehead as she sat on the edge of the bed, earning a deadpan "ow" from him coupled with another pointed look. "You should be resting."

"I got my energy back. I'm only staying put because I shouldn't leave without a doctor's note."

"..."

"Like a good boy."

"...Right…"

"Anyway. It's morning. I'm sure you have much better things to be doing other than hanging around with some dude who overexerted himself."

"I do, but…"

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm trusting you to do what's best regarding how we continue."

"...Okay. I'll do what I can."

"Mhm. See you when I do."

Naoto hopped off the bed and started toward the door, but turned back to him as he let out a soft sigh. Smiling sympathetically, she walked back and pressed her lips to his forehead, holding there for a moment before shifting down and nuzzling her forehead against his. He recognized it as a gesture she used to comfort him while he was feeling down, but those moments were few and far between. His heart fluttered happily at the rare tried-and-true technique, and he basked in her small effort. She closed her eyes and whispered with a undertone of melancholy, "Don't strain yourself. I'll take care of everything."

Souji stayed quiet and enjoyed her simple touch, almost reaching for her longingly as she smiled again and headed towards the door. She didn't hear what he said next, but it would've cheered her a bit had she be able to. "...Thank you."

What he really wanted to say was something along the lines of don't go or please stay, but what he said was said, and Naoto was taking her leave.

The door shut, and the air felt stuffier than before. Souji knew that was just his own paranoia, but that came with being in this particular room. So here he was, alone in a hospital again. He sighed deeply as the bad memories starting to seep back into his mind, clawing at his focus as he tried to rest instead.

This was part of why he hated hospitals.

_His hands were numb, and his legs were shaking from the strain, but he ignored his own hurts in favor of the immediate situation. He held his sword resolutely with both hands and shook his forearms to wake himself up. Neatly deflecting Yosuke's downward strike, Souji forced the daggers to the side and grabbed his friend, tossing him roughly to the side. He had a split second to plant his sword point in the ground and bring his hands up to block Chie's axe kick. Ducking under a higher swinging strike, he threw himself into a roll past her when she brought her foot smashing down where his head used to be. Righting himself, he took a beat to glare at Kunino-sagiri; on top of almost strangling his sister, the bastard had the audacity to force his friends to turn on him. Thankfully, Rise was too far away to fall under as well, and he managed to fight it through...whatever means. Maybe sheer force of will- at least, that was what he told himself. _

_There was no more time to think; he was being assaulted again. Side-stepping a vicious swipe from Yosuke's dagger, he raised his arm quickly and suppressed a wince as Chie's heel dug into it. His hand grabbed her foot while his other hand pushed against her thigh as he swung her into Yosuke's back. The two fell in a clumsy heap as he turned back to the real problem. As he reached for his sword, however, he felt cold metal pressing against the back of his head. Slowly turning, he dropped his sword and looked at Naoto pressing her gun against his chin. Taking a deep breath, he gazed at her levelly, slightly unsettled by the tinge of blood red in her normally grey-blue eyes. "…You're not gonna shoot me."_

"_..."_

_Her silence was expected, but the red intensified as Namatame looked on, eyes glowing to signify his power over them. Whatever was controlling her forced out a growl, and she pressed the barrel more forcefully against his head, but he felt that her hand was trembling and her face was twisted into a pained expression. "Naoto."_

"_S-Senpai...I-I…"_

"_Put the gun down."_

_A low whine escaped her, but her hand didn't waver from where she was pointing. Her other hand came up to press hard against her face, but he could see she was biting her lip, and tears was pooling in the corners of her eyes. Her voice was shaking, and the words weren't her own...but she spoke. "This is for peace...this is for Nanako-chan."_

_Souji noted that he was doomed either way if he let this go on, and bringing anyone else into the fight would probably just bring them under control. _

_...This was gonna suck._

_He slowly raised his hands, thanking his fortune and faith in Naoto that she didn't immediately shoot him. "Lower your gun." _

_He put one hand on the barrel, holding back a flinch as Naoto's arm tensed and her eyes grew wide with alarm. Kunino watched from a distance, quietly encouraging Naoto to end him, but she didn't. Souji slowly moved his other hand to gently touch hers, rolling up her shirt sleeve and clasping her bare skin. The warmth from his hand stirred something in Naoto's mind, and he could see that she was fighting for control of her own body as he tried his next move. "That's good. Just...keep fighting."_

_His hands slowly lowered her gun until what Namatame had turned into reached one of its hands forward again. Alarm bells rang in Souji's head as he saw Naoto's finger snap to the trigger, giving him a split-second to come to terms with what was about to happen. Suddenly, a shot rang out and Souji felt a sharp, burning sting pierce through his thigh. "Senpai!"_

_It took a moment to register what had happened as Souji looked down and gaped at the blood soaking the cloth around his thigh, Rise's cry barely finding his ear. It took another for him to notice that his world was falling as he collapsed onto his good leg. Naoto's gun wept a small trail of smoke as she stared in shock at him, the red leaving her eyes and regaining their grey-blue color. Her hands shook with emotion as she watched him holding his thigh in pain, but a grim smile was present on his face as he recognized that she was no longer under control. Blood was seeping onto his palm as Yosuke and Chie came to their senses, both of them stunned into silence from what had happened. "S-...Senpai…?"_

"_Ah...welcome back."_

_Naoto simply stepped back slowly and looked at him in horror, her grip on the gun tightening as she seeked any small comfort as reality hit her hard. _

Souji felt his fingers twitch slightly as his heart beat faster from the stress, so he closed his eyes and mentally chided himself for his slip, taking deep breaths to calm down. Looking to the small table by his bed, he noticed with a small smile that there was a book waiting there, presumably left by Naoto by how thick it was. Reaching over, he plucked it up and turned the first page, scanning a small note handwritten on the blank space.

_Don't you dare try anything stupid like escaping through a window._

_Naoto_

"Gee, thanks."

He looked at the window and briefly contemplated doing just that. At least it would get him out of the stuffy room. His thoughts of escape were interrupted by someone letting themselves in. Looking up from the book, he smiled softly at Marie, who was dressed as if she had just come from her job. "News reporter looks good on you."

"What is wrong with you?"

Souji frowned slightly at that. "Well, that's one way to say hello."

[- - -]

Naoto planted her hands on the table and looked down at her revolver, her bullets lined up neatly next to a small equipment case. She quietly psyched herself up for the coming task; leading a team into a television. _Okay...it shouldn't be too difficult. Yes, dealing with unruly officers and legal obstacles is tougher than this. _

_Oh, boy. This is...going to be interesting._

"Okay…here goes."

She turned and waved her hand for attention, rapping the information board with her knuckles as she did. "Everyone? Let's begin."

Rise came forward first, concern clearly written into her expression. Naoto tried to calm her down with a small smile and a reassuring hand, leading Rise to finally speak. "Um...is Senpai okay? I mean, I was fighting with him before he sent me back, so...I feel sort of responsible for what happened."

"He'll be fine. He just...pushed himself too hard. Again. His decision to send you back was wise if it meant you were able to go unharmed."

"Ah, okay. I want to visit him when hours are open, then."

"Why not go now?"

She shook her head, offering a small smile that was eventually followed up by a confident wink. It would seem the idol was able to bounce back after hearing some good news. "Someone has to watch over you all. I might not be the best at fighting, but I can definitely provide as much support as I can with Kouzeon."

"Right. Well, we have no time to waste. Souji-kun will be in the hospital for a little while, so I can lead the party. Or Yosuke-san. Either way works."

Yosuke looked up from his water and shrugged, shaking his head as Naoto looked questioningly at him. "I dunno. I'm not too good with heading fights. I'm a behind-the-scenes guy."

Evidence presented itself in the clear outline of bandages around his waist, showing clearly enough even through his shirt to say that he was in no condition to fight just yet.

"I suppose I'll have to give it a try, then."

Her sight wandered to Sho, who was sitting in the corner next to the arcade cabinet, which strangely looked like someone had inserted credits but had abandoned the game before standing. Instead, the man was polishing his blades again, a whet stone close by in case he needed it. Naoto sighed, and got more than a few sympathetic looks, but she figured now was better than never. "...Minazuki-san."

Sho scowled for a moment at the way she said his name, but he bit back a retort in favor of simply saying, "What."

"You'll be coming with us today."

"...And why would I follow your orders, detective?"

"Because Souji trusts you. I want to see for myself why he does."

Naoto latched her shotgun onto her holster and slid it onto the same hip as her firing arm and revolver, fixing Sho with a level stare as she asked, "It that a problem?"

He returned the stare with a glare of his own, but she was surprised when she saw a half-smile on his face as he stood and sheathed his swords, adjusting the two into a fashion she didn't recognize from his usual fighting style. Instead, both were resting on one side of his belt, one above the other. A samurai came to mind, one with the image of a red-haired delinquent, but a samurai nonetheless. "Fine. I'll follow your lead."

She raised an eyebrow at that, not commenting as Sho returned the the cabinet and picked a character. "Just like that?"

"Well...yeah. I ain't a leader, and I was sent here to help out anyway. Besides...I want to see why Souji's so...infatuated with you."

Training helped Naoto suppress a blush, but she was still exasperated by his choice of words. "Infat- what do you mean?"

"C'mon. Anyone who's paying attention can see your puppy crap."

"...Fine. Everyone, call out when you're ready and we can begin."

Sho grinned to himself as he noted that the detective did have her weak points. Maybe some fun would be found of this whole thing after all.

[- - -]

"So you're saying I'm overdoing it?"

Marie nodded judiciously and crossed one leg over the other, staring intently at Souji as he digested the information. "Not only that. The stress affects your soul, too. It's going to get the point where your Persona can become unstable."

"...Unstable?"

"I can't really say how that can affect you. All I know is that nothing good can come of it."

"Hm."

"I'm serious. This kind of thing has never happened before."

"...I see. And if an extension of myself becomes 'unstable', then…"

"It could have severe consequences. I'm talking serious identity crap."

"I promise it won't go that far."

She gave him a look and shook her head, determined to get her point across. "Murphy's Law."

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me, you know what I'm talking about."

Any trace of humor left Souji's face, his expression becoming stoic, but natural. Anyone who saw it called it his 'thinking face'. "...I'm doing my best. It's been a hectic few days."

"I know. But it's about to turn into more of an uphill battle."

"What do you mean…?"

Marie took off her glasses and rubbed the lenses, her gaze turned downwards in a manner that concerned Souji. Before he could speak, however, she murmured, "Everyone's gone."

The tone of her voice led Souji to swallow nervously, coughing softly to clear his throat before letting out a weak, "What…?"

She looked up at him, masked sorrow overwritten by conviction and anger. "They're gone. The Nose, Margaret. I can't even get ahold of Theo, and no one knows where Elizabeth is."

"Just-...just gone?"

She nodded, looking out the window as Souji waited with a respectful silence. It was another minute before she continued. "He said there was something he needed to do. That he had to leave the car to make amends."

"Igor…?"

"Yeah. Of course Margaret had to follow him, as if the runt can't even take care of himself."

"And how did Theodore get involved?"

"...I don't know."

Souji got up from the bed, consequences be damned, and crossed his arms when he made it to the window. An unknown anger was boiling in him; while they may have been acquaintances at best, Souji still valued his relationship with the denizens of the Velvet Room. "...Must've been Dao."

"Huh?"

"Our new resident antagonist. He's...different."

"But...d-did you say 'Dao'?"

Souji turned to look over his shoulder, committing the rest of him to the motion when he saw the recognition in Marie's eyes. "Yeah...why?"

[- - -]

Naoto was not having a good day. As soon as they had arrived in the TV world, the team had found themselves flung headfirst into a battle that was proving to be much more difficult than a shadow or shade. The mysterious girl from before was here, but she wasn't as tame or as "scared" as before. In fact, Naoto could say that they were being soundly trounced by her. There was no more time to dwell on bygones, as said girl was now shooting towards her with two kanabō intent on crushing her. The ground shuddered as the studded ends crashed into the ground, and Naoto barely dodged a swing aimed for her arm. She leaned back and soundly kicked the arm holding the other weapon, accentuating her attack with a hop backwards. _She's quite...pragmatic._

Sho appeared over the girl and swung once with Tsukiyomi's scythe, tossing it into a dark cloud and unsheathing both his swords in a smooth x-shaped slice. She managed to parry the attack after dodging the first, ducking a blade stabbing into the ground where her foot used to be. Jisi mused as Sho went in for another attack- _Going for my foot…? That's...pragmatic._

"Rise, Boaz and Jachin."

The girl's kanabo disappeared as she stabbed the ground with her hand; when she pulled it up, however, a pillar rose in front of her, the awkward angle sending it smashing into Sho. He was sent flying back, recovering by digging his sword points into the ground. The pillar rose again, but he sliced it in half just before impact. Teddie used the temporary distraction to throw himself into corkscrew, claw intent on drilling into his target. An unsurprisingly loud battle cry rumbled out of the suit, one that was immediately stuffed by Jisi waving her palm towards him and encasing him in a giant block of ice. Kanji merely gaped in disappointed shock at the bear, who was fiercely fighting the chill, a sight that amounted to a frozen, colorful bear suit fiercely vibrating in ice.

"...Oh."

The girl spun the two retrieved kanabo and waited, keeping her gaze focused on Naoto, who reloaded her cylinder and crouched a bit. Sho stepped in front of Naoto, looking over his shoulder and muttering, "If you have a plan, then now's the time."

"And what are you doing?"

"Buying you some time. And it don't come cheap. You have a plan, or not?"

"...I do, but-"

"Perfect. You go on, and...y'know, do whatever."

"How eloquent."

"Whatever."

Sho threw one of his swords like a spear as Jisi dashed towards him, holding his other one in a manner similar to Souji. He brought it down along his hip and bowed his head only to use his natural speed to meet Jisi's attack with a loud, metallic crash. They ground their weapons together as she finally said something, however quiet. "You're not half bad for a punk."

"You're not half bad for a brat."

Meanwhile, Naoto crouched and pressed her palm to the floor, only removing it when she saw the soft blue glow of a card stain the earth. She stood and raised her hand to her chest, throwing it outward as she gracefully spun once and stopped with her gun pointed forward and at the ready. A trail of cards followed the trail of her hand and scattered, eventually bursting and reforming as floating reticles that glowed faintly. "I'd advise you all to stand back."

Yamato-Sumeragi appeared behind Naoto, raising her sabre straight into the air and letting light form around its blade. Naoto crouched and closed her eyes, concentrating intently on augmenting Yamato's power. The light formed into a hard shell around the blade, one that the Persona rested carefully on her shoulder as she awaited further instruction. Naoto murmured as she focused through Yamato's eyes, "Cut with conviction."

Yamato teleported to the girl and whirled the light-infused blade in a figure-eight pattern, forcing the latter on the defensive as Naoto concentrated. Eventually, the large reticles were condensed into small red pips where they rested, a thin beam streaming from the point of origin. Meanwhile, Yamato had grabbed the girl and hurled her towards Naoto, who shifted the momentum to one of her traps with a kick. Yamato flashed back to the detective and seemed to hug her, a rune appearing at their feet to form a white, circular shield around them. The girl just passed through one of the trap beams, triggering a chain of Megido explosions. Sho straightened up from where he was lying on the ground, dusting her shirt as he tried to speak. "Huh. Nice jo-"

"Jisi!"

Naoto dodged back just before Dao came crashing down, glaive planted almost entirely into the ground she was standing on just a moment ago. She was unsettled by the glare he fixed her with from behind his mask, but she stood her ground and leveled her revolver at him, Sho stealthily flanking their adversary as Teddie and Kanji backed her up. Dao growled but managed to compose himself enough to grind out, "That was a little unnecessary, wasn't it?"

"I can't say. You've made numerous attempts on our lives already-"

"Have any of you died yet?"

"...What kind of question is that?"

"The kind you should answer, lady."

"...No."

He left his weapon imbedded in the ground and shot to Naoto, seizing her by a handful of her shirt and bringing her face level with his mask. "Listen, you-"

A survival knife whistled through the air and buried itself firmly in Dao's side, throwing him into a brief moment of pain. "Agh-! What the f- gah!"

Naoto used the moment of weakness to rip his hand from her collar, using the momentum to turn and jump as he released, kicking him in the face before she touched down. She dropped into a low crouch as he swung blindly at her, bracing for another attack before Kanji bodily tackled Dao. He held his Plate and swung it in a wild circle, forcing Dao to be defensive amidst the crushing blows. Eventually, Kanji gave up and threw the Plate at him, catching him heavily in the side and giving Kanji an opportunity to floor him with a clothesline. Dao growled as he struggled to rise, Ouroboros coiling around his arm and hissing in concern. "This...is nothing."

A soft glow burned on his shoulders, and the hurts that he may have suffered disappeared over a few seconds. "What the hell?"

"We Velvet folks are pretty stubborn…"

Naoto gasped at the way he said "velvet"; Souji had mentioned the same thing some time ago, but his expression was unreadable, as if there was something to be found but another that told her to keep her distance. The moment she had clocked back into reality, she was witnessing Dao and Kanji coming to blows, but the odds were slowly beginning to favor the former. Takeji Zaiten's intervention all but saved Kanji from being taken out in the next moment. Dao was sent flying into a wall by a hefty punch, an impact that was punctuated by Kanji's fist going into his gut. He panted as Sho ran past, drop-kicking Dao through the wall and sending them both into a dark portal.

They emerged a moment later, as Sho was practically surfing Dao, a trip that was abruptly ending by the latter grabbing the former and slamming him into the ground. Sho kicked out of his position and spun to his feet, fist sailing towards Dao's face. To the surprise of both of them, the blow landed, and Dao was sent reeling. As he righted himself, he cursed softly as his vision swam, the strain of Ouroboros' earlier attack still chewing at him. His plan to retaliate was stuffed as Sho's knee dug into his gut. Dao looked around blearily, trying desperately to form a coherent thought amidst the beating he was definitely about to receive. Salvation came in the form of his sister intercepting Kanji's Plate and kicking Sho in the side. Kanji looked shocked for a moment at the palm that was holding back his considerable strength, but he ignored it in favor of pouring more pressure on. Jisi looked desperately to Dao, eyes asking silently for a plan. As he was about to say something, Naoto rushed in and wound around them with Sho in a pincer attack, Kanji rearing back to crush the Dao and Jisi. Dao took a moment to focus, his eyes glowing softly from behind the mask as he tiredly broke his glaive into his old twin blades and handed one to Jisi. He gave her a pointed look for a cue, the two of them going back to back and bending their arms. At the last possible moment, the swung in their respective directions, a circle of almighty energy following the blades. The rush of power sent their three attackers flying a few feet away, so they took a moment to catch their breaths and patch their wounds.

Kanji groaned, the strain from Dao's previous attacks stacking on the slight burn he felt on the front of his shirt. Sho wasn't doing much better, but he managed to pull both himself and Naoto to their feet. The detective looked weakened, but her eyes were as focused as ever. "The...the hell was that?"

"I...I don't know."

"Where's the bear?"

Naoto looked around, finding Teddie still encased in the block of slow-melting ice. "Still out."

"Dammit."

She checked her equipment in the meantime, cursing softly as she held up her shotgun; almost the entire barrel had been lacerated, and her impact against the wall did no favors to the overall condition. She tossed it away regretfully, muttering, "There goes that…"

[- - -]

Souji trudged into one of the shopping district's many alleys and took out the Contractor's Key, going through the usual routine of activating the door to the Velvet Room. He frowned slightly as the door seemed to pulse weakly, but he was still able to open it with conviction. Just before he entered, however, he heard a voice. "So that's where you were."

He turned and smiled softly at Marie, who was jogging towards him as he stepped back from the door. "Yeah...I wanted to see for myself."

"I figured."

The silence between them has just reached what Souji deemed the "awkward threshold" before she looked up at him and asked, "Mind if I come with?"

His smile was renewed and he nodded, pushing open the door again and bowing slightly. "Ladies first."

He was met with a backhand that bore no real malice before following Marie into the room, the door disappearing as it closed.

When the initial flash of light waned, Souji felt himself seated in the car that...had strangely stopped. Visually, nothing had changed in the absurdly blue interior, but Souji no longer felt the sense of calm and welcoming that he usually experienced when he came here. Instead, the atmosphere was replaced with a shroud of uncomfortable silence. Everything that wasn't alive was as it always was, clean and impeccably organized. Where Margaret used to sit lay the Persona Compendium, but Souji found no use from it as he didn't understand the process himself. A soft glow caught his attention from the low table that waited between him and where Igor would always smile. "Oh."

The Orb of Sight waited for him, glowing almost cheerily in the dim lighting of the car. A sad smile found his face as he reached out and touched it, taking it carefully in his fingers and turning it slowly. His eyes glowed faintly for a moment as he looked from his hand to the table, and he was pulled out of stunned silence by Marie. "You okay?"

"Y-...yeah. Just...give me a minute."

He closed his eyes and silently thanked Igor for the gift, but his heart sank as he realized he had no idea what to do with the magical item. "It's been a minute."

"Has it?"

He reached over from his seat and touched the door handle to the other side of the car, experimentally testing if it was unlocked. "Hold on. What are you doing?"

"Checking what's outside?"

"I...wouldn't do that."

"...?"

Souji stepped out of the car and braced his foot on the ground. It was initially disorienting, as the ground appeared to have no real shape, the only visible surface being a road that stretched on for an impossible length. He walked for a while until he found that there was nothing to see, nothing to discover. Turning, he looked down both ways of the road, then back to the car. His hands balled into tight fists, his fingers digging into his skin as anger boiled in him. The dark fire he felt in his heart smoldered more powerfully as he thought about the last time he met with the residents of the Room. His eyes darkened as he looked out over the expanse of nothingness before he turned on his heel and headed back to the car. "You should head back to the hospital."

He looked up to see Marie was leaning patiently on the door, and she stood straight as he approached. "I should, but...there's much better things I could be doing."

"You're not wrong. Here, give me the Orb."

Souji handed it to her and watched silently as she held it for a moment, the Orb's glow growing stronger as long as she did. Before long, she handed it back and said, "It's...a blessing, I guess. It should keep you focused alongside being a shiny good luck charm. Sorry...but that's the best I can do."

"It's more than enough. Don't worry."

"What are you gonna do now?"

"...Probably head to Junes. May as well check in on the group."

[- 20 minutes earlier -]

Dao cocked his head slightly as he held Naoto aloft by her collar, a smile audible in his voice as he said, "Huh...you're cute. Small wonder why Seta's so infatuated with you."

_Is it really so obvious?!_

Naoto couldn't help but scream a little bit inside despite the peril she was currently in. "I have to ask you a favor...I need your friends to show up. Y'know, so I can capture you all at once."

A mask appeared in his hand, looking oddly like a theatre mask one would see in a drama studio. "Fitting, isn't it? You have a part to play."

Her eyes widened as she realized what the mask was for, if his words and the conclusions she was drawing were any indication. She squirmed in his grasp, memories of the last time she was controlled filling her mind. "Hold on now. I- oof-!"

Dao failed to realize that pulling her closer to him gave Naoto the opportunity to knee his stomach and kick off of him. He doubled over for a moment, pain overwhelming his senses as Naoto dazedly took a defensive stance, but Jisi appeared behind her and locked her arms behind her back. She growled back in panic and struggled to break free, but her fatigue and Jisi's strength made it too difficult to make any progress. Dao grabbed her face and spoke quietly in an effort to hide his anger, "Hold still. I'm not gonna make you kill anyone or any other tripe like that."

A low whine came out of her as the mask was pressed onto her face, and she felt her consciousness slipping away as her mind was gradually pulled into Dao's control. "Now, repeat after me…"

[- Present -]

Souji was walking through the electronics area of Junes as he made his way to the war room, but a voice calling out stopped him.

"_Hey, Seta."_

He froze dead in his tracks and growled at the voice he heard. He whirled around with his fists at the ready, but relaxed slowly when he realized no one was there. "_In the TV. You're no stranger to that, right?"_

He turned to look at the televisions on display, only to freeze when he saw a familiar mask staring back at him. "_Yo. I, uh...wanted to see you. You see, your friends decided to visit today, and your lady friend led the group!"_

Souji felt a cold sweat on his brow as he saw Dao's surroundings, and his voice failed to make any noise as Dao held up someone he knew very well by the back of her jacket. "_It...hehe. It didn't go so well."_

* * *

**Suspense!**


	14. Collision Course

**One of you thought it was a good idea (thanks bunches, LeafyDream), so here's a tip; This song's from Yakuza 0's OST (Side A). For when Souji and Dao inevitably fight, "****怨魔の契り" ****(the 38th song) seemed to fit really well to me. Give it a whirl if you're game. **

**[I've been diving into the Yakuza series a ton lately. Sorry :).]**

**This chapter sees some...stuff go down. Loooong fight ahead, sorry.**

**Enjoy, yeah?**

* * *

Souji practically tumbled into the team war room, hastily making his way to his table and throwing his katana onto his belt. A hasty glance to the corner showed him the Blade of Totsuka waiting for him; he looked at it for a moment before grabbing it and hefting the heavy strap the held the blade onto his back, making his way to the entrance as soon as he was ready. He had one hand on the TV when he felt someone grab his leg. "S-Souji...what are you doing here?"

"Yosuke?"

His partner groaned as he was hefted up by an arm, and he leaned on the table as Souji tried to inspect his wounds, a move that he soundly stuffed by batting Souji's hand away. "I'm- ugh -fine."

"What happened?"

"I dunno what the hell got into Rise, but...she suddenly got this weird look and said the others needed help in there...I tried to stop them but suddenly it was just me and Rise, and…"

"And…?"

"Let's just say she hits damn hard."

"And with your older injuries…"

"Yeah- definitely not in fighting shape today...sorry, man, but-"

"I understand. Sit this one out, buddy."

Souji was about to head into the TV when Yosuke's hand on his chest stopped him again. "Wait. You're really going in there alone?"

"He has them. And we'll have 'em back before the day's over."

He said all of this with a straight face, but Yosuke saw the tensed muscles and balled fists, choosing wisely to back off and remove his hand. "Alright, but you're gonna be heading in blind."

"I know. I'll muddle my way through it, don't worry."

Souji offered his friend a small smile before nodding and committing to entering the TV. The ripples on the screen accentuated that Yosuke was now alone in the war room, feeling useless at his predicament. "Dammit!"

His fist pounded against one of the tables, and a frustrated groan escaped him as he paced about, unable to smash anything in his anger. Finally, he stopped, took a few deep breaths, and fished his phone out of his pocket.

There were three rings before someone picked up. "_Kirijo speaking."_

[- - -]

Souji touched down heavily and winced as he touched his stomach, the strain still affecting him slightly. A small TV was waiting for him as he adjusted his swords, so he crouched in front of it and gently pressed the power button. "_Hey! You showed up! I was beginning to think you didn't care about...y'know, this."_

Souji resisted the burning desire to punch the TV screen when he saw Dao haul Naoto into view, only remaining in his place to make certain she was at least unhurt. He pressed his palm to the screen, hoping to find some hope that he could just fall through and save her right then and there. "_I'm surprised you made it here as quick as you did. I remember you had to get a lift out last time. Wouldn't be the first time either."_

"Yeah, it does get tiring when you do nothing but send your lackeys."

His breath hitched when he saw Naoto sitting next to Dao, her hands bound by glowing chains and her head bowed until she looked up hesitantly. She looked sickly, as if she had been forced to see or experience something she would never impose onto anyone else. His heart ached as he noted the dull look in her eyes that was replaced by some joy when she saw him. He put his hand on the screen again and murmured, "Naoto...did he hurt you?"

"_Souji...I-I'm sorry, I-"_

"_You mean like this?"_

Dao drew his fist back and backhanded Naoto, sending Souji's blood into a boil as her head lolled from the impact. After a good fifteen seconds of her taking deep breaths and biting her lip with almost enough force to draw blood, she looked up, putting on as brave a face as she could. However, Souji could see. He could see the pain in her eyes and the silent plea for help as Dao chuckled to himself.

And that was enough.

"Bastard…!"

Souji let go of his restraint for just one moment, and the TV's screen splintered under his fist, sending small shards of glass flying as he ground his knuckles into the now-ruined device. He looked down and took a deep breath, and his heartbeat eventually started to slow to its normal pace. When he withdrew his hand from the shattered glass, he looked at his knuckles, feeling only a fraction of the pain he thought he would as he muttered, "Ishtar?"

His hand glowed faintly for a moment, and he felt the cuts mending as he gingerly wiped the blood off his fingers. He blew out a long breath before standing, punting the TV off of the studio floor and into the abyss as he made his way back to the Okina portal.

[- - -]

Dao hummed softly when he saw Souji punch the TV he was using to speak, the tune eventually turning into a wolf whistle as he looked down to Naoto. "Have you ever seen him like that?"

She spat some blood out before clearing her throat and answering, "Once or twice. Why, are you afraid of him now?"

"No, more like...intrigued."

"Right, that's one word for it. I'd say you're more fearful of what he can do."

The jab he thought of was interrupted when he heard Kanji yelling at him. Again. "Hey! What's the point of kidnapping all of us if he's just gonna beat your ass anyway!"

He didn't flinch as Dao's foot slammed into the wall right next to his head, staring back defiantly as Dao rested an arm on his knee and leaned down. "Stop yelling. We are gathered here today...because this is necessary."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Stuff. Now shut up and sit still."

Dao walked away, squatting next to his sister who was sitting quietly against the far wall. "Holdin' up okay?"

"Dao, I got blown up. Multiple times. I'm pretty sure that's- ow -something you can't fix with boo-boo kisses."

"Alright, so you're practically at 110%. Sweet."

"Oh, you."

"Yep."

"So...what's our guy in for today?"

Dao fell back and sat down, crossing his legs as he fished a small mask-shaped trinket out of his coat pocket. He showed it to Jisi, who whistled and shook her head. "You're really putting him through the wringer."

"Yep."

"Is all this really-"

"Necessary? Yes. You'll see."

Jisi looked unconvinced, but she leaned back on the wall and nodded once. "Okay."

[- - -]

Souji huffed raggedly as he lifted the Totsuka Blade from its harness; the portal to the corrupted Okina city waited gloomily for him as he stared into the abyss. The blade was beginning to feel heavier in his hand, but he ignored his own aches and fixated on Naoto's.

Dao.

Dao would pay for that. Souji felt anger clouding his mind, a stigma he pushed to the back of his thoughts as soon as he felt darker motives creep into his mind. He almost made the mistake of letting rage drive him once, and he intended to hold true to the promise he made to himself that night. He closed his eyes and sighed again; this was going to be a long battle.

Steeling his nerves once more, he jumped into the portal.

After the fall, he found himself at the area they were in when the Emperor had attacked. A giant mirror was blocking the way, providing a strange reflection of the broken city behind him. "Damn it..."

He raised his sword over his head and cleaved the mirror in two, Izanagi mimicking the move in the opposite diagonal. Straightening up and rolling his neck, he muttered, "I don't have time for this."

Unfortunately, that was all that needed to be done.

[- - -]

Dao's face, even behind the mask, was blank as he carefully watched Souji practically stomping through the streets. He took a breath and turned away, walking over and sitting next to Naoto. The detective was…wary, to say the least. Dao took off the mask and smiled strangely at her before swiftly replacing it. He sat there for a moment before saying, "I'll...be honest. He's not really going to come out of this without some scars."

She swallowed nervously and glanced from him to the floor before hesitantly answering. "Then...why are you telling me this?"

"I know you guys have a creed. That you'll find the truth, save the day, the world even. All without killing a single soul. But…"

"...but?"

"Well...I don't know whether that belief will survive."

[- - -]

"Guys…?"

Souji tugged at his collar as his vision started to swim, ultimately falling to his knees and dropping his sword. It felt like he had been walking for hours…

A brief attempt to struggle to his feet bore no fruit, and he fell back to the ground and let go of a ragged breath. He faintly heard a building near him crumble to the ground, the trembling of the ground rousing him from his delirium. Planting his hands firmly on the ground, he groaned as his muscles protested with responses of pain, signs he ignored as he picked his blade of the floor and straightening up. Using the back of his hand, he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and started walking again.

"This...may not have been the best idea."

He leaned heavily on his elbow and fell heavily against a wall, looking back as his surroundings seemed to go on eternally in both paths. By now, his legs felt like they were on fire, and his lungs seemed to slowly quit on him when he saw someone familiar. "N-Naoto?"

The detective was sitting against the wall in an alley not far from him, but it seemed like a mile when he focused his vision. He slid his sword back into its harness and used the wall as a crutch to make his way over. Upon closer inspection, he saw her revolver lying in her lap but it was blackened by what looked like ash. In fact, it looked like her clothes were singed somehow, the hem of her pants and coat frayed and blackened. "What the hell?"

At his words, she looked up at his smiled in relief, but...something was off. "...You're here."

Despite the strange feeling he was getting, he crouched in front of her and reached over to touch her hair. A growing sense of wrong hit him even when he felt her nuzzle against his palm, her small smile turning into a grin. "Are-...are you okay?"

"You know…"

"Naoto?"

"...I always wondered...just why are you so..."

A gun barrel pressed into his stomach, her voice becoming a sultry whisper as she leaned into him. The grin she wore sent shivers down his spine, and her eyes half-closed as she gazed at him. "...so damn foolish."

A dull thump filled his ears as he watched her fire, her pupils glowing faintly as he gaped at her. "Heheh...I hope you enjoyed that. We all have a little something to say to you."

A hand grabbed Souji's collar and threw him out of the alley, sending him tumbling for a few feet before he came to a hard stop against a streetlight. As his vision reoriented, he choked out a groan of pain and tried to stand. A familiar figure hefted a chair over his shoulder and stared down at him with angry eyes that were devoid of any mercy. "Kanji…?"

A slow scan of his surroundings beheld all of his friends, armed with their favorite weapons and all glaring down at him. "What...? I-I thought-"

Naoto giggled and played idly with her revolver's cylinder, but her tone belied the malice in her voice. "You thought wrong."

[- - -]

Naoto watched in horror as her fake kneed Souji in the chest as he tried to stand again, sending the silverette back down and into a coughing fit as he was circled by the troupe of doubles. She turned away when she saw the fake Kanji raise his chair, struggling against her bonds as she shouted at Dao. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Dao only spared her a glance, saying nothing as he turned back to the TV. "I can understand that you would want to hinder us, hurt us. But to pull this kind of trick? There's nothing you can call it but cruel!"

"...I know. Stay quiet."

"If you think I'm going to-"

Dao snatched her up by her shirt, bringing her level to his mask and grinding out, "Shut. Up."

He dropped her nonchalantly and turned back to the TV, ignoring Naoto's attempts to cast about for a weapon. Sho whistled at her and nodded quickly to avoid suspicion from Dao. While he was focused on the TV, she shuffled over and leaned in when Sho nodded again. "I cut free already. Thing is, we don't have any of our weapons, and he's more than a match for any of us."

"Then all we have is…"

"One knife."

"Dammit."

"...I can probably hold him off for ten minutes, but...I wouldn't put too much stock in that."

"But his sister is still injured from my trap…"

"Let's wait for a bit. If it comes down to the wire, I'll do what I can."

"...Thank you, Minazuki-san."

Sho scoffed and sat back against the wall, giving her a look and saying, "Can't at least call me by my name?"

[- - -]

The city was aflame from the ferocity of the fake Yukiko's attacks, the sweltering heat working against Souji as he struggled with his own present pains.

Souji was panting heavily as the blade fell from his numbed fingers, the digits of his other hand wrapped around Naoto's throat. She simply smiled at him in a sickeningly sweet manner, further putting more pressure on his beleaguered mind. "Ooh...where did this anger come from? Is this the real you?"

"Shut up!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Why?! Why are you doing this?! Why…won't you just leave me alone…?"

"Why would I leave you alone, dear? I promised I would never leave you in the dark..."

Her knee crashed into his stomach again, driving his breath forcefully out as he fell away from her with a choked wheeze. In a flash, she had her gun pressed against his forehead, her tone and demeanor changing to something that disturbed him deeply. "I just want to do my job. Investigate every nook and cranny...find just what you've been hiding from us for so, so long…"

Her smile turned wicked and her eyes turned yellow as she pulled the trigger. He found himself alone in Okina again, ashes floating through the air where the illusions of his friends used to be. His feet trembled from the exhaustion of the fight, but his shoe bumped against something before he could start walking, dazed as he was. Looking down, a mask emblazoned with a 'VI' waited for him. "...Illusions…?"

Slowly, he raised his foot and planted it on the solid material. He slowly put pressure on it until he saw cracks start to run across it. It didn't take long for the weight to completely shatter the mask, the remains fading into a fine dust soon after. His eyes glowed dully as he looked up and smiled coldly at the horde of shadows surrounding him. A soft chuckle rumbled out of him as lightning started to dance around him, bolts seeming to come down from the sky to randomly destroy the shadows one after another. Finally, he looked up and scowled, holding the Totsuka Blade in an underhanded grip and muttering. "Fine. Get ready to ride the lightning."

[- - -]

Dao chuckled and muttered, "Dear, oh dear. It seems our friend's a tad upset."

Meanwhile, Souji was tearing into the horde, blade seeming to arc and twirl around him as he continued his reckless dance. A minute later saw him weaponless, as his blade was buried in what used to be a King Castle. Magatsu Izanagi was playing his own part of the reaper, his spear as his scythe and the shadows as his victims. He coped by using his fists and feet, muscles straining as his arm dove through the stomach hole of a Fuzz to lift and swung it around in a destructive circle, batting shadow after shadow back if he didn't completely crush them. Slamming its back onto the handle of his buried sword, he pulled it out of the ground and swung it like a golf club, putting the Fuzz out of commission forever. A feral roar rumbled out of the normally silent Persona announced his attack as he buried his spear point first in the ground and spread his arms wide, a tornado of lightning clearing the near surroundings. Resting the blade on his shoulder, Souji looked over his shoulder at the shadows surrounding him.

"How many of you are there…?"

Souji sidestepped a fireball flying past and bodily threw his sword at the attacker. He gritted his teeth as he turned to face the legion of shadows, drawing his katana in a flash and roaring, "_Stay_ out of my _way_!"

Dao looked at Naoto and shrugged, simply stating, "Pent-up aggression. I'll be honest, I'm surprised."

_Using his Persona as much as he is...the consequences can be very dangerous..._

"W-Where is he?"

He fished out a broken pocket-watch and looked at it, shrugging again stowing it away. "Right...about…"

The door blew open, and the walls splintered dangerously as it fell off its hinges. Souji staggered in, Blade of Totsuka dragging along the ground and katana sheathed at his hip. His eyes were empty, save for the raw anger that burned in them when he focused on Dao. His sight darted to Naoto staring in surprise and relief from where she was against the wall, taking a moment to survey her wounds. He counted one, two, three...then the dam broke. Fury seemed to radiate off him as he dropped the Totsuka Blade, drew his katana, and barked, "DAO!"

"...now."

Fog descended on the room as Dao removed his mask, a ghostly smile spreading across his face as Souji's soul roared in anger. His eyes narrowed, and he remained silent as he held the Totsuka Blade with both hands, his katana resting across his lower back. Dao watched him for a moment and scoffed, taking his own stance and facing Souji down. They sprinted towards each other after a beat, their shoulders colliding after they met at the middle of the room. The two glared fiercely at each other for another moment before blades met and ground against each other. Souji was tripped by Dao's foot going around his own and tugging roughly, but a solid kick to the ribs stopped Dao from continuing the attack. Dao grunted and stumbled back as Souji rolled back and found his footing again, both of them facing each other down again.

Souji weaved around a flurry of slashes, blocking Dao bringing both his blades down on him with the flat of the katana blade. Sparks flew as Souji wound the blade towards the floor, bashing Dao in the chin with the butt of the handle and backpedaling. Dao's blade almost cut his chin as he leaned back, ducking inwards and swinging his heel into Dao's hip. Dao groaned and backhanded Souji, the two falling to the ground and catching their breath for a moment.

When they both found their footing, they wasted no time in clashing again, parrying blow after blow until a cloud of sparks exploded from a final collision. The ringing metal forced them to drop their weapons, but Dao reacted first and punched Souji. He stumbled back a few steps before ducking low to the ground and bringing both fists close to his face. A quick duck around Dao's kick let him swiftly uppercut Dao. He ducked a haymaker and sent his fist flying into Dao's side, throwing his arms around Dao's back and lifting him onto his shoulder. Dao raised his arm and sent his elbow into Souji's back, raising it again and bringing it crashing down again and again before Souji hefted him a bit higher and slammed him into the ground. The force of the throw let Souji roll over Dao and find his footing again.

Dao rose slowly, and a familiar glow surrounded his shoulders. Naoto noticed and yelled, "Souji! He's healing himself!"

"Oh? Huh."

Souji cracked his knuckles as Dao panted from the stacked pain, muttering, "Here I go, then," as he approached. Readying his fist by aligning it with his waist, he thrust it forward and straight into Dao's chin. A slow, sickening crunch echoed through the air, but whether it was Dao's jaw breaking or Souji's knuckles straining under the impact was unknown. What was true was the the raw force behind the punch sent Dao flying back a foot or two.

Souji staggered over and raised his foot as Dao dazily looked up. He skirted around Souji's kick, bringing his knee to Souji's chest and kicking him with his other foot. When he touched down, he swung his leg onto Souji's head in an axe kick, but the attack was block as Souji grabbed his leg and sent them both tumbling to the floor. Souji recovered first, scrambling onto Dao and sending a fist into his face. While he was stunned, Souji grabbed his spare Goho-M and threw it to Sho. The look he sent with it told the redhead that he knew about enough about the situation. "Go!"

"What the hell? Do you think we're leaving you he-"

"Damn right you are. Now go."

Sho looked around and twirled his knife, but Jisi was nowhere to be found. Instead, he set to work cutting the bonds of the other team members. "C'mon, detective. We're leaving."

Naoto was silent as she offered her hands for Sho to free, rubbing some life into them as she watched Souji and Dao exchange blows once more. Rise grabbed her hand and pulled her to the rest of the group, but she didn't respond when the idol said, "Come on, Naoto-kun! We have to get out of here!"

When she saw a glow surrounding the team in a circle, she struggled and tried to break free of her friends grip. "W-wait! I-...Souji is-"

"Senpai will be fine! There's nothing you can do, you don't have a gun!"

Souji socked Dao again and quickly turned to the portal that was forming; he pointed and Naoto and said, "She's right. I'll be fine."

He flashed her a tired smile and waved quickly, the expression turning grim as he turned back to Dao. "Trust me."

The portal glowed brightly and surrounded the others in light, and Naoto tried once more to struggle out of Kanji's grip holding her back. "Let me go! Souji-!"

They winked out of the area before she could finish her sentence, and Souji carefully let go of a shaky breath. "That's one thing going my way."

"Wanna try for two?"

Both of the tired fighters took a respective stance, the fatigue from the battle catching up as they circled around slowly. "Getting gassed?"

"A tad."

Souji's fist landed first, colliding with Dao's stomach as he retaliated with a knee. Souji skirted around it, jabbing Dao in the chin but failing to dodge the backhand to the face. They both stumbled back but recovered quickly, dashing at each other and exchanging punch after punch, kick after kick. For every attack that was parried, another landed. Finally, Souji landed a hefty blow on Dao's face, stunned himself by the counter punch. Their fists met respective faces in a cross-counter, and they renewed a safe distance from the recoil. Dao wiped his hands on his trouser legs and grinned, chirping, "You know, I think we're really bonding here."

Souji's eye twitched irritably, and he raised his fist before feeling a stinging in his chest. "Oh, don't you- gah!"

_The World (?) - 4_

Dao stood and replaced his mask, crossing his arms as a shadowy figure watched lazily from the other side of the room. "Well, kiddo, this is where we stop."

Souji coughed from where he was kneeling on the floor, looking up at Dao with a pained groan. "What...are you on...about now?"

"Well...let's just say we've reached the rising action of this little story. You are in need of some introspection."

The figure warped in front of Souji, masking Dao's fading into the fog as it opened its golden eyes. "Souji-kun!"

Naoto burst into the room, armed with a basic pistol and followed by Chie and Sho. Souji only had a moment to acknowledge her presence before he felt something jabbing his chest. Only when he heard his friends' shocked sounds did he realize what was happening. He froze as the shadow's hand bit into his chest, its fingers turning ethereal and digging straight into him. He fell to his knees as it rummaged through his soul like it was nothing but an obstacle, sifting through until its fingers caught something. "Souji-kun!"

The shadow held up its other hand to stop Naoto as she drew her pistol and pointed it at its face, a spectral voice speaking quietly_. "I wouldn't do that…Calm down."_

"What? How can I just stand here and-"

"_You really want to distract me while I'm working? Could shatter his soul if I lose focus. Might do it anyway. But I don't want to die just yet."_

The shadow turned its head and tensed its arm a bit, forcing a groan out of Souji as his eyes turned darker from the pain. "Stop, you're hurting him!"

"_Ohoho, I know. Now what did I say?"_

"…"

"_Good. Just stay there and behave."_

The black wisps of smoke gave way as it removed its hand, opening shining yellow eyes as it drew a glowing orb from Souji and raised it. His eyes widened as he recognized the small ball.

_The...the Orb of Sight…?_

Crushing it in its palm, it laughed aloud as energy emanated from its body, the black smoke around it slowly fading. "_Haha…now that's much better."_

Souji fell back into Naoto's arms as the last of the smoke was wafted away by the mysterious shadow's hand, its fingers coming up to brush its hair back over its forehead. It sighed softly as it dusted off its jacket, smiling as it blinked and cracked its neck experimentally. "_Much…_much_, better."_

"No way…"

"_It's like looking in a mirror, isn't it?"_

From where Souji lay on the ground, he stared at his Shadow with an expression that was torn between shock and…fear. The Shadow smiled in a manner that was far too similar to its counterpart and crouched, gesturing slightly with his hands and enjoying his newfound body. "_So. How ya doin'."_

Souji remained silent, his mouth slightly open as his brain fumbled for the words he desperately needed. The Shadow patted his chin and closed his mouth, tousling his hair roughly as it smiled again. "_Lemme get that for you. You seem quieter than usual. Cat got your tongue?"_

"_Or…maybe you don't know what to say?"_

"What-...what the-"

"_Oh, c'mon. I wanted to hear something more intelligent from...y'know. Me."_

The Shadow tilted its head to the side as Naoto fired at it, activating a Goho-M and swiftly extracting them all from the TV.

[- - -]

Souji was practically unresponsive to his new surroundings, almost falling against one of the tables as his adrenaline wore off and left him with all the exhaustion of the unending battles. He coughed fitfully as the team remained silent, unable to digest what had happened in less than five minutes. Only Naoto could find her nerve, taking Souji by the arm and quietly saying, "Souji-kun?"

"...Huh?"

Souji looked up to Naoto, unconsciously wincing as his eyes found her face. He tried to say something, but the words that usually came to him so naturally left him out to dry. "I...what is it?"

"...We're leaving."

"What? Naoto-kun, we-"

"We will discuss this later. Go home, all of you."

She was met with looks of uncertainty, but part of her really didn't want to deal with objections right now. Regardless, she kept her manners in check and added a short, "...Please."

Without another word, she dragged Souji out of Junes and towards her apartment. A quick look back at her charge hurt her heart, the lost look in his eyes piercing her soul. She blinked back tears of frustration and tried to tell find a way to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. Her efforts amounted to nothing.

A few minutes later found them in her home, and she had managed to coax him out of his shirt so she could get to work with her first-aid kit. She tried to keep herself from losing composure, but the bruises and scattered cuts on his torso told her that he was fighting for a long time. Dabbing at a particularly long cut on his back with an alcohol wipe, she ignored his hiss of pain and murmured, "You...you left the hospital, huh?"

"...Yeah. I...I had to do something. You were in danger."

"Right. I-I wasn't careful enough, and he captured the team I brought with me."

She paused from bandaging the wound, resting her forehead against his back and thanking her luck that he couldn't look at the shame on her face. She managed to choke out a weak, "I'm sorry."

He reached around his back and pulled her around to him, holding her quietly as she nuzzled against his chest. When she looked up at him, however, he couldn't help but see the double of Naoto that tried to kill him. Just like that, he felt a welling fear build in his chest, and no matter how much he tried to push it down it still persisted. His throat felt dry, and he felt bitter towards himself when he muttered, "I-I don't think I should be here."

Souji got up to leave, grabbing his shirt in the process, but Naoto hopped in front of him and put a hand on his chest. He blinked at her once, but didn't move from where she kept him. "What is it…?"

His voice was quiet, subdued; something she rarely saw from him. "...What you saw was-"

"What I saw was my Shadow. Naoto, I'm sorry, but there's no dancing around this."

That silenced her, at least for a moment. "I...I have to help you, you know?"

"Even if it meant your life was in danger...because of me?"

Naoto stared at him for a moment, then reached down to grab his hand and place it around her neck as his eyes widened ever so slightly. He felt her swallow nervously against his loose grip, but she kept her hand over his as she spoke. "You wouldn't hurt me. Would you?"

A flash burned through his mind of the Naoto from his cruel dream, and it took all his willpower not to squeeze the slightest bit. Instead, he shut his eyes tight and pulled his hand away, muttering, "No. Of course I wouldn't."

She smiled at him, relieved, but he could scarcely look at her. He compensated by pulling her into another hug, joining his hands at the small of her back as she breathed and accepted the embrace. While she was enjoying the contact, Souji smiled slightly before letting his mind wander to the last thing that happened in the TV.

This was a problem. However, try as he might, he just couldn't think of an answer.

* * *

**So...yeah.**

**This chapter was pretty chaotic, and I'm not...super-satisfied with the way it turned out, but this seemed solid enough. I'll reread it later and maybe fix some bits, but for now...here we are.**

**Thanks for reading. Till next time.**


	15. Confrontation

**So. We're at the eve of some turning points in the story. I'm gonna have to tune the rating up to M after this chapter, so...just a heads-up. **

**To those of you who are reading this story, thank you for sticking around. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Souji let out another breath that he didn't know he'd been holding, looking up from the whetstone he was holding to scan the empty room. He closed his eyes when he saw nothing, returning to striking stone against metal as he tirelessly sharpened the blade of his katana.

Then it occurred to him. The katana didn't have a name.

He smiled slightly when a name flashed through his mind, but he quashed the thought, at least for now. The weapon deserved to be named by its creator. His eyes narrowed.

Marie had said that Igor was...gone. Just gone? That was...unlikely.

But there was no way she would lie.

Dao must have had something to do with it. The sound of the whet stone striking louder against the blade forced his eyes to snap open. He took a deep breath to calm down, and slowly went back to whetting.

He drew in a slow breath and gently dragged the stone across the entire length of the blade before dropping it on the table. Picking the sheath of the table, he sheathed the nameless katana with delicate handling and leaned it in the corner behind the information board. At that moment, Yosuke walked in and stopped at the sight of Souji leaning over one of the tables. His eyes flicked to his friend once before he offered a small smile. "Hey, man."

"Hey. Got you a drink."

Souji caught the can of TaP easily and took a sip, murmuring his thanks before taking another draft. Yosuke sat on the table opposite of his and took a mouthful of the soda, quietly looking around the room. "I'll go out on a limb here and assume they told you what happened."

"...Yeah. And at the end, your…?"

"Yeah. My Shadow is waiting in there."

"Damn…"

"Souji-kun?"

Naoto walked into the room just then, instinctively smiling at the sight of Souji before offering Yosuke a quick bow. "Everyone head home already?"

"Kanji-kun took Yukiko-san home, and Teddie's nursing Rise-chan over at the tofu shop. It would seem the stress of...what happened today pushed her a bit too hard."

It was then that Souji took a look at her face, his eyes fixating on her cheek. A thin white bandage decorated her flesh, and he could feel an almost primal anger boiling when he saw the signs of a bruise on the outer bit of the binding. "Is, uh…" He lamely gestured at the wound, "...does it hurt?"

Her hand flew up to her cheek, but she refrained from touching the mark; that would only irritate it. Instead, she smiled reassuringly, but Souji's keen eye could see the sentiment didn't reach her gaze. "I'll be fine. Please. Don't concern yourself with me."

He held her gaze for a moment more before relenting and taking another sip. "...Okay."

Naoto tried to say something, but the awkwardness filling the air pushed her words back down. Yosuke seemed unaffected by the atmosphere, simply taking sips every now and then before he fished out his phone and checked his texts. Souji paid no attention as his friend tapped out a quick message, and Naoto felt her phone vibrate in her pocket a few seconds after. She chose to ignore it, however, instead moving to sit on the table next to Souji. Her hand drifted along his shoulder, partly to comfort him and partly to try to found any wounds he may have been hiding. If he noticed her touch, he didn't show it. Yosuke said a moment later, "Need me for anything?"

Souji considered him for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "I...need some time. Can you keep the team in check while I gather my thoughts?"

"Sure."

Yosuke made to leave, but not before putting a gentle hand on Naoto's shoulder and giving her a meaningful look that said, _Check your phone later._

With that, he left the room leaving Naoto and Souji to themselves. "Sou-"

"Naoto."

She blinked at that, but answered. "Yes?"

He raised a hand and motioned her over. "Come here?"

As she hesitantly stood in front of him, he reached up and stroked the skin under her bruise gently. She winced under his touch briefly, the reaction causing him to pull away immediately. "N-no, it's okay- I was...surprised, that's all."

Souji still mumbled an apology, lowering his hand and asking, "Do we have fresh bandages somewhere?"

"There. Under the table next to you."

He reached under without looking and fumbled a bit before his fingers found the kit. He lifted it and set it next to him, reaching up to carefully peel the bandage off Naoto's cheek. Souji looked away to scan through the contents, a satisfied hum coming from him as he found everything he needed. He set to work properly catering to the wound. "You're not very good at patching yourself up."

"As long as it heals."

"Hmhm. We think alike."

"...Are you okay?"

Souji stopped and looked her in the eye for a moment before flicking his sight away from her face; an act that was truly confusing. Why was he...afraid of her?

"...I don't know. Heh...it's pretty crazy, huh. I feel...empty. Like something's been ripped out of me."

"Are you hurt?"

"I feel like I got hit by a bus. Then a truck. Maybe a minivan for good measure. Aside from that, I'm just trying to figure out what to do."

He delicately pressed a neat bandage to her cheek and patted it with a small smile, his hand falling to his side as he paused and murmured, "It's...pitiful, really. Normally, I always have an answer. No matter how ridiculous it may be. It just comes naturally, you know? But now...I don't know. I don't know what to do."

Naoto took his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his for a moment. "You know you're not alone. We can help you."

A scene flashed through Souji's mind, and he remembered the vision of him (?) attacking her. His hand snapped up to hers, and he gently urged her away from him as he began to stare at the TV. "No, I…"

He blindly reached for his katana and put his hand on the screen, probing the surface as he considered jumping in. "...I have to confront it."

His eyes grew sharp for a moment when he looked at her, the hard look stunning her into silence. "And you're staying here."

"What? No, we have to-"

"Naoto. I've seen- I know that it can only end badly if you come with me. If _anyone _comes with me. It's something I have to do alone."

He seemed poised to climb in until Naoto seized his arm and tried to pull him back; due to the difference in strength, it was an insistent tug at best when Souji dug his heels in. She made an exasperated noise at his stubbornness before pleading,

"Souji-kun, please, just…let's go home and we can decide what we'll do next. Okay?"

Souji gazed at her dimly, glancing from his katana resting on the table to her earnest look, an honest plea for him not to risk leave so quickly. He blinked before nodding slowly and gently prying her hand off his shoulder. "…Okay. Lead the way."

Souji was quiet on the way to Naoto's apartment, something that worried her; he usually had something to talk about, no matter the topic. It gave off the impression that he was being unusually...cold. Like he was content to shut everyone out and confront obstacles in his way alone. It reminded her of…

Souji had other things on his mind, planning out just what how he could keep everyone safe. He decided that Naoto and Yosuke would manage fine as leaders if his Shadow plan went south. He grimaced a bit before refocusing. That outcome was...unsavory, but ever a possibility. It was a chance he was willing to take.

"Souji! Wait."

He obeyed, stopping dead in his tracks and looking to his side. Naoto wasn't there. Puzzled, he turned around and saw her speed up a bit to catch up with him. "We're headed the same way. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding me."

That was a notion he would never entertain, even at this time, so he offered his hand and a small, apologetic smile. As soon as her hand accepted the warmth of his, Naoto flushed slightly and smiled to herself; Souji was still himself. That made it easier. They walked together now, and the atmosphere didn't feel as stifled as it did just a minute ago. Naoto quickly glanced around the street they were walking down before carefully wrapping her arm around his and resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel the confusion practically radiating off him, so she simply said, "I may not actively pursue this kind of thing outside, but that doesn't mean I hate it."

He didn't shake her off, instead slowing down his pace and entwining their hands again. He chuckled softly and remarked, and she could hear the smile in his voice, "Alright then."

[- - -]

"Tea?"

"I'm okay, thanks. I just want to change my clothes and lay down."

"Of course. Please, go ahead."

Naoto shrugged her jacket off and draped it on one of the chairs, pulling the tie holding her ponytail and letting her hair fall gently against her back. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she checked Yosuke's message. All it said was, _Take care of him. I'll manage the rest._

"Souji? Are you alright over there?"

"Yeah. Just...thinking."

She walked into their bedroom and saw Souji sitting on the floor, staring at the carpet and sighing softly every so often. "_Are _you okay?"

"...I don't know, Naoto. I just…want to put this to rest. And I don't want you or anyone else to be put into danger because of me. I'm going to go eventually, and I want you to know my reason."

He stood and walked over to the window, leaning his elbow on the frame and resting his forehead on it, his voice becoming lower but still clearly audible. Naoto felt her throat getting tight at what he said next, as if he was betraying her with his words. "So…don't follow me, oka-"

He was shut down by Naoto hugging him from behind, her arms wrapped so tightly around his waist that he mused about whether she was expecting him to disappear at that moment. Her cheek was pressed against his back, but her tone was low, slightly shaking from her stress as her hands knitted themselves into his shirt. "Souji-kun…why are you acting like this?"

Souji stayed silent, his hands at his sides as he struggled to find what he could do, what he could say. One of his hands tried to pry hers off, but she simply held him tighter and weakly pleaded for him to stop. Her next words were more to herself than to him, and what she said made him hate himself that much more.

"Why are you shutting me out…?"

He resigned quickly, instead deigning to hold her hand with his own. He looked down and cursed himself with everything he had before he whispered, "…Can I look at you?"

She was quiet until he looked over his shoulder and continued. "Naoto, please."

Her eyes widened as her grip on him weakened, and he snatched this opportunity to turn and pull her into an even tighter hug. She froze against him for a moment before feeling a stinging at the corners of her eyes and throwing her arms around his neck.

"You are such a fool…"

He smiled against her shoulder, nodding as best he could and patting her back. "I know. I'm sorry, I just…I didn't mean to treat you so unfairly."

He gave her a weak smile as he held her, and said, "Forgive me?"

Naoto said nothing as she stared at his face, feeling a familiar sense of comfort coming from him now that she had managed to chip away at the wall Souji had put up. Returning the light smile, Naoto pressed her cheek into his shirt and wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him a little closer as she closed her eyes. He sighed into her hair as he mumbled, "I really don't deserve you."

"Don't say things like that. It's not healthy."

When they parted from the embrace, Naoto let her hands drift up his chest before carefully touching his face. Souji remained silent, clasping her elbows when she slowly pulled him closer and closed her eyes. Their lips met, and Naoto felt all the feelings Souji was suppressing in the kiss. They ranged from joy to sorrow to anger and to others she could scarcely describe. Tears beaded at the corner of her eyes, and it wasn't long before she felt them trailing down her cheeks. The kiss itself was incredible, full of life that Souji was happy to provide as he pulled her to him. What made her cry was the weight behind it. When Souji pulled away again, he wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs, planting a peck on her forehead before hugging her again. Souji's spirits took a dive when she held him tight and whispered, "Don't go."

There was nothing he could say.

[- - -]

Souji walked into the room again after Naoto had fallen asleep, the overexposure to the TV world's atmosphere taking its toll on her energy. He noted that she was only laying on her side of the bed, as if she knew he'd be joining her shortly. He pushed some of her hair off her face before smiling bitterly and whispering, "I'm sorry…good-bye, Naoto."

Putting her blanket over her shoulders, he started towards the door, looking back only once before silently letting himself out.

He found himself in the TV before long, unsheathing his katana and letting its edge trail along the floor. He found it puzzling that, unlike the heroes from all the books he read or all the shows he watched, he had nothing to say, nothing to think about, nothing to do but move forward. If he died here…well, wouldn't that be something?

But he wouldn't.

Instinct led him to the corrupted Inaba's rendition of the Dojima residence. Before he could open the door, it fell before him, revealing his...Shadow sitting calmly at one of the tables. "_Welcome home. I'm surprised you came here as fast as you did."_

"Yeah, well. I wanted to settle this. Without anyone getting hurt."

"_Not here to fight. Let's see if we can...come to terms. Settle this peacefully, yeah? We want to avoid...unnecessary damage."_

"...Okay," Souji nodded, quietly taking a seat and resting his arms on his lap. "Let's talk."

His Shadow smiled, yellow eyes unreadable as it spread its arms welcomingly. "_Excellent."_

"Alright. What exactly am I...what do I have to confront."

"_Frank. Can't fault you for that."_

The Shadow stood and walked around the room, gesturing naturally as it spoke. Souji's eyes followed it carefully, his hand straying to his katana. "_You feel as if someone is becoming a liability. You think it's you. That's why you're so eager to fight, so eager to protect your friends. You would hospitalize yourself as long as it meant you could preserve your castle of glass. Ah, that's right..."_

It fell back onto the couch and raised a finger as if it had an epiphany. "_You_ _**did**_ _hospitalize yourself!"_

"Shut up."

"_Then you broke out the of the hospital, ventured into this hellhole __**alone**__, and got beaten half to death, just to what? To save your friends as soon as possible? What are you trying to prove? That you're a terrible leader? An adrenaline junkie who's hungry for the next bloodbath? Who are you...Souji Seta?"_

Souji glared at the Shadow, whose only reaction was to shrug and resume pacing. "_Are you the leader? The paragon of Inaba? Or are you just some boy who can't bear to be alone. Who can__**not bear **__to be left in the dark."_

Shadow Souji reached down and plucked a piece of rubble of the ground, weighing it in its palm before winding back and throwing it hard. It slammed into one of the walls and broke into smaller debris. "_What should happen if someone threw a rock at your castle…? Maybe it would hit the strong, stubborn base. Or the beautiful canopy, renowned for its graceful construction."_

It picked up another rock and chucked it out the front door, braining a shadow that was drifting by the ruined doorway. The monster exploded into black slime before completely dissolving. Souji slowly stood, adjusting his katana as the Shadow faced him again. It held its arms akimbo and cocked its head at its counterpart.

"_What if it hit the tops of the towers? The chamber of the king, the queen? It would take an awfully long time to repair that damage. Someone will cut their hands on the shards, no matter how careful they are. And if the broken spires are irreparable? Ah, then they'll simply have to leave it behind."_

It dropped its hand to its sides and rolled its neck, a small pop audible as it groaned and shook its head. Souji's hands clasped into fists, his nails digging into his palms with almost enough force to draw blood. Inwardly, he was reeling from the bombardment of...truths, and he winced at the Shadow's next words. "_You are weak. You would die to preserve your castle. And if you truly expire? What remains won't even be able to bounce back."_

Souji grabbed the Shadow by its shirt collar and pulled it to him, suppressing a growl as it easily broke the hold and stepped back. Instead, it wagged its finger mockingly and smiled. "_You are __**weak**__. Hiding behind your masks and saying everything will be okay. No matter how many bones you break, no matter what limbs you lose, you would risk everything because you cannot comprehend the potential losses. You cannot bear to be alone."_

A white mask appeared in its hand, and it held it in front of its face for a moment before letting one of its eyes shine eerily at Souji. "_Look familiar? We've been using these a lot lately."_

The mask turned into a mirror of Yosuke's face, then it split into his and Teddie's faces, then a third broke off and displayed Naoto's face.

"_Don't worry, partner! I'll take care of everything!"_

"_Don't worry, Sensei! Everything'll be okay!"  
_

"_Don't worry, Souji-kun! I believe in you."_

Its voice rose more and more as it waved the masks around and shouted, "_Masks, masks, MASKS! Always just hiding behind your masks!"_

The masks fell from Shadow Souji's fingers and hit the floor, the slight impact being enough to shatter all of them. Its foot crushed the shards until only dust remained. Souji watched as it ground its foot against the dust before turning on its heel and speaking with a lower, calmer tone. "_If only someone would accept me...someone strong enough to carry on the charge in my place. Only problem is…"_

It looked over its shoulder and laughed bitterly, its eyes glowing as it murmured. "_...No one is stronger than me."_

It grunted in surprise as Souji's hand whirled it around, his fist sending it straight out of the house and onto the street. It touched its jaw from where it was on the ground, falling back onto the floor as Souji kicked the remains of the door out of the way. "The hell do you know."

The Shadow grinned as it found its footing, nodding encouragingly as Souji cracked his knuckles. "I do what I can. Not that you would know...you…"

He wound back and floored the Shadow with a fierce punch, turning on his heel from the momentum. "...are _nothing _like me."

The Shadow simply clicked its tongue, shaking its head as it stood and spread its arms wide, "_I see."_

Souji was blown back a few feet, rolling neatly to find his feet as black flames wrapped around the Shadow. Its eyes glowed a shining yellow as it cocked its head and grinned maniacally. "_I am a Shadow. The true self."_

* * *

**Well, someone's facing himself soon. The next fight will be...oh, it'll be a fight, all right. Should be up pretty soon, too!**

**Till then, check out LeafyDream or Rayokarna. **


	16. Contention

**Fight, fight, fight, fight! I wasn't lying when I said the next chapter would be up soon!**

**Have fun!**

* * *

"Want more soda?"

"Oh, sure! Thanks."

Yosuke smiled and handed Chie another can of soda, falling back into his seat and sighing. "What's up?"

"I'm just hoping Souji doesn't do anything crazy. We've never dealt with something like this before, and with our leader? Ugh, it's a mess."

Chie watched him quietly before putting her soda down and sneaking over when he closed his eyes. His eyes flew open when she pounced on him, straddling his lap and declaring, "Cheer up! We'll burn those bridges soon as we get to 'em!"

"That doesn't sound very safe…"

"You're overthinking it. Souji-kun'll be fine!"

"I guess you're right...we should-"

The sound of thunder booming outside broke his concentration, and Chie bounded off his lap to pull the drapes aside. "Rain…?"

They exchanged a look before Yosuke whipped his phone out and dialed a number. "Come on, pick up, dammit!"

"_Yo-...Yosuke-san? Why are you calling at this hour?"_

"It's raining."

"_What? That's impossible, Marie-san should-..."_

"What? What is it?"

"_...I'll call you back."_

"What?!" That was all Yosuke was able to say before he heard the tone that said the call was over. "What the hell…?"

"Yosuke? What happened?"

He looked at Chie for a moment before dashing to his closet and fishing out a coat. Throwing the hood on, he tossed Chie and umbrella and headed to the door. "Use that. We're going to Naoto-kun's apartment."

[- - -]

Souji reeled back from the Shadow's knee slamming into his stomach, falling to his knees and retching heavily. "_It's raining."_

"W-...what?"

Shadow Souji smiled and pointed to the sky. What was coming down from the sky was most certainly rain, but the color of the sky and the light fog permeating the area painted the rain an almost bloody shade of red. "_It's raining. This is not your day."_

"But...Marie should-"

"_Marie is too weak right now. She pushed herself too far simply taking you to the Velvet Room without its host. That can truly take a toll on someone, y'know."_

Souji unsheathed his katana and pointed it at the Shadow as he stood, gripping the weapon with two hands and growling, "You sure like talking, don't you."

"_You don't? I am you, after all."_

It neatly ducked a swing and pushed Souji away with one hand, and it raised its other to the sky as Souji stumbled. The fog condensed into a katana identical to Souji's, except a black blade glowed with luster. "_I have shinies, too."_

Its eyes gleamed again, and Shadow Souji cleaved the air in front of Souji's leg, an action that puzzled Souji. Suddenly, he felt feeling in his leg disappear, with pain centering in his knee as it it had been amputated. He let go of a choked scream as he fell to the floor, but he could see that there was no visible damage to his leg. "_Stings, huh? I call it Phantom Pain. You may still have the leg, but it feels pretty damn bad, doesn't it."_

The Shadow clicked its heel against the floor, and the sky itself tore to reveal a giant TV screen. A red light gleamed at the base of the screen, and Shadow Souji plastered a friendly smile on his face.

[- - -]

"Marie! Marie-san, wake up!"

Marie looked up at Naoto in a daze, the young deity shaking her head as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. Naoto had been woken up by the sudden knocking on her door, and opening it had beheld Marie, soaked and desperate as she collapsed onto Naoto. The detective had been doing what she could to wake her, but there had been no real progress until now. "He's-he-he's in there. Him and h-his Shadow, I-...oh, this is terrible…"

Suddenly, Naoto's TV flared to life, and what she saw only confirmed what she was dreading. Souji's Shadow came across the screen amidst the static, and she could see him holding his leg and groaning in pain behind it. A voice that was both like and unlike Souji's spoke, the distortions of the feedback slightly twisting the sound. "_I understand that your Shadows had a gimmick. Some suppressed fantasy world that you were...loath to reveal. Not me. Nope. I'm the guy who's like...who's like the blank slate. Just a name and some skills to it. So...who am I?"_

Naoto bit back a shout as it twirled a katana very similar to Souji's and walked towards the genuine article. "_Guess we'll find out soon. Tune in next time, mates."_

The screen winked out and the TV abruptly shut down afterwards. Slowly, Naoto put her hand on the TV and pressed against it. To her dismay, nothing happened. No reaction whatsoever. At that moment, Yosuke and Chie burst in, the former dripping with water as the latter folded an umbrella. "Naoto-kun-"

"Stay here and take care of Marie-san."

Yosuke grabbed her hand before she could exit the apartment, and he stood strong despite the desperate glare he received. "What can you do? It's _Souji's _damn Shadow!"

"He needs support."

She said it as it was the most obvious thing in the world, and without another word she wrenched her arm from his and ran out of the apartment. Yosuke watched until she was out of sight before sighing and gesturing to Chie. "See if you can find some towels."

The rain was coming down hard now, utterly soaking Naoto as she pushed herself to run faster. She ran to Junes, ignoring everything along the way. She ignored how cold it was outside, how the rain felt like hail on her hair and back. It was her poor preparation that she didn't even bring a jacket, but Souji was in certain danger. That was enough to make her as reckless as he often was.

Unhealthy, but she couldn't help it.

She burst into Junes, ignoring the stares as she ran down to the war room and locked the door behind her. Tripping near one of the tables, she was caught by Kanji, who hefted her up and handed her a towel. "Idiot, the hell did you run here for?"

"Wh-what are you doing here…?"

He looked to Sho, Rise, and Teddie before answering slowly. "We saw Senpai's broadcast a few minutes ago. We live the closest, so…"

Naoto looked up at Sho through the towel and tilted her head towards him questioningly. He shrugged and looked away. "Technically, I live here."

She chuckled quietly at that, using the soft towel to mask her small smile before she asked. "Why are you all waiting here?"

"I would say that we were waiting for you, but it's worse than that. We can't go in. It's like we lost our power."

Naoto blinked at that, walking over to the TV and putting a finger to it. Once again, nothing happened. Now, it was just an expensive-looking television. "How is this possible?"

Sho grunted and dropped his swords on the table, shrugging again and sitting on the edge of it. "We'll have to wait. Nothin' we can do now."

Rise sighed and collapsed her mic. "Much as I hate to admit it, it's true. We'll have to wait till something changes.

[- - -]

Souji shouted in pain as the Shadow's katana sliced his shoulder, his shirt tearing open as blood stained the fabric. A retaliatory swing cut the Shadow's shirt diagonally, but fog flowed out instead of blood.

He dodged a slice from his Shadow, grabbing its sword arm and pulling it close enough to elbow its face. While it was reeling, he threw two punches, weaving around the Shadow's counterattack and countering with an uppercut followed by a hook. He bobbed around its roundhouse and punched it in the face, following it up with a kick that floored it. The Shadow rolled away and spun to its feet, meeting blades with Souji once again.

It lunged forward and snatched a handful of Souji's shirt, throwing him against a street lamp and kicking him square in the chest. His back collided painfully against the steel, but he pushed off of it in time to grab the Shadow's arm and use the impetus to slam its head against the lamp. As it reeled back, Souji braced and kicked its legs out from under it. His vision wavered a bit as he stumbled back, but, as he reached down to his katana on the ground, he felt as if an absurdly sharp blade had bisected him. The pain overwhelmed him, and he fell as the Shadow walked slowly towards him. "_Yeah, that looks like a rough deal. At least everything's where it should be, huh? Heheh."_

Souji stood unsteadily, putting his fists up as he shook his head to focus again. "_Really, what do your friends do __in battle? Take a hit? Heal you? You can do all of that."_

"Nah...they teach me. Wouldn't be anywhere near where I am without them."

"_Oh, really."_

"Yep." Souji smiled grimly as he tightened his fists and charged forward. "Let me show you!"

The Shadow was sent stumbling back by a kick to the face, followed by Souji ducking in and punching it in the face. He continued with three quick jabs to its head and chest, downing it with a kick to the neck soon after. As it rose, he drop-kicked it and stood straight. As the Shadow rose it swiped at him with a gauntlet reminiscent of Izanagi's, opening three lines in Souji shirt as it almost tore his flesh.

"_I am the true self, y'know? Facade and all."_

"Bastard…"

"_Heeeey, don't sell yourself short."_

[- - -]

The Junes TV came to life, the image blurry as Marie came across. The friends in the war room watched until she spoke. "_They're still fighting! I've managed to gather enough of my strength to open the way, but I can't maintain it for much longer! Someone, help Souji!"_

Without hesitation, Naoto came forward. "I'm going."

"Then, maybe Kan-"

"I'll go."

Sho scratched the back of his head as he came forward. "I'm the only other one with actual training here. Besides," He paused to grin wolfishly at Kanji. "I'm the next best member of the team."

"The hell are you-"

"_Whatever! Both of you, hurry up!_

Naoto holstered her gun as Sho gathered his swords, the both of them climbing into the TV as soon as they were ready. When the image of Marie refocused, she bowed slightly and shook her head. "_Sorry, you two...I-I'm not feeling too hot."_

"That's okay, Marie-chan. Just rest."

"_Okay...I'll see you guys later."_

Rise waved at the tired Marie as the TV shut down again, and, experimentally, she poked the screen. There was no response. "What can we do, Kanji-kun?"

Whenever she called him that, Kanji knew she was being serious. As such, he crossed his arms and looked towards the door, patting Teddie as he sulked in the corner. "I dunno, Rise-chan. If we can't even get in the damn TV, there's no way we can help him."

[- - -]

Souji kicked his Shadow in the face, readying himself as it took a stance. They sprinted to each other and parried each others attacks, sneaking hits in at every opportunity until Souji's fist collided with the Shadow's face. While it was stunned, Souji ducked in and uppercutted it hard enough to send it flying back a few feet. Stomping over, he reached into the cloud of dust and found his target.

"Souji-kun…"

_What?!_

Upon the dust clearing, Souji's eyes widened in shock; the target he had pinned down wasn't his Shadow. Naoto looked up at him with pained, pleading eyes, and her words came out as a whisper as Souji stared at her in abject confusion. "Why are you hurting me like this…?"

The image of Naoto's attack flashed into his mind, and Souji numbly released his grip as he clutched a hand to his face. _Is it…the vision I had? Was it my fault she-…she…?_

His brain lurched as he glanced again at her prone form, unable to comprehend that he might have hurt the petite detective. "W-what are you…what?"

Naoto rose and walked cautiously to him so she could take his cheek in her hand. "Was it another bad dream?"

"I-I…I told you to…didn't I? Did I…"

Souji watched as she smiled knowingly, but was taken aback by her eyes suddenly flashing yellow. "It's okay…_take a nap."_

A flash of black fog and the Shadow had replaced Naoto, and Souji was caught in a dangerous position; it still had a grip on his face. Before he could react, his mind was treated to a painful dose of electricity as the Shadow let loose with a Zio spell directly to his head. His pained scream was drowned out by the electricity crackling through the air. "Souji-kun!"

"_Hm? Oh, hi, detective."_

Sho used his speed to almost teleport to the Shadow, tackling him away from Souji as the latter fell to the floor. Naoto picked Souji up and tried to feed him some medicine, but he was too stunned to respond accordingly, his body twitching from the lightning. "Wake up!"

She slapped him hard enough to snap him out of his (literal) shock. He started out of her lap and looked around quizzically, the sound of Sho and his Shadow fighting being the first thing her heard. "W-...huh. Did I really just get electrocuted?"

Sho was sent flying into the building next to them, the Shadow pursuing him relentlessly as Souji struggled to his feet. When Naoto followed him into the broken building, they saw Sho being beaten by the Shadow, who, in contrast with how savagely it was punching him, sounded eerily calm. Sho spat some blood out and grinned, the slight irony of the situation not lost on him. "Not much force behind those- !"

"_Sho…" _Another punch. "_You are in the way."_

Before it could land another, Sho spun under it and grabbed its arm, locking his legs around it and pushing it into a painful armbar. While it writhed in apparent pain, Sho hefted it up and drew one of his knives. He quickly cut it once, twice, then tossed it in the air and punched the Shadow straight in the stomach. As it staggered back, Sho jumped and spun in the air, his foot impacting with the knife's handle as it fell; he kicked it hard enough to send it into the Shadow's shoulder. Reaching forward, he yanked the knife out and back-kicked it out of the building. Frowning at Souji and Naoto's incredulous looks, he shrugged and spun his knife carefully. "What?"

The Shadow stood and teleported between the three, its eyes shining as it looked up and let the fog condense around it. "_That's enough."_

The fog burst outward in an invisible explosion sending the three flying back. Souji skidded along the ground before colliding with the wall, his breath forced out of him in a ragged gasp. Sho looked as if he was knocked out for a moment, but his pained groan at least assured Souji that he was still alive. The Shadow glared at Souji and started walking towards it before three bullets pierced its body. Turning on a dime, it reformed its katana and teleported to Naoto.

It grabbed Naoto's hand and forced the gun out of it, neatly cutting her security wire to send it flying farther. Snatching her by her collar, it hefted her high in the air and grinned with a slight head tilt. "_Y'know…I never really repaid you for the bullet in my leg."_

Naoto winced and sighed softly, nodding as best as she could from where she was. "…I know."

"_Well, that's good-"_

"But I also know that Souji's forgiven me. If you expect me to break and beg for my life, then you're about to be disappointed."

"…_Tch."_

"Stop! You're fighting me- !"

The Shadow phantom cut Souji at the knees, sending him crashing to the ground hard. He still struggled to stand and make his way to Naoto, a futile effort given the pain overwhelming his legs. He resorted to crawling, something the Shadow looked down on with a mixture of disgust and pity. "_Can't you just wait for your turn…?"_

Refocusing on Naoto, it raised the katana towards her chest and wound its arm back. Time slowed in Souji's eyes as Naoto closed her eyes in resignation. Struggling to his feet, he ignored the pain of his wounds stacking on each other. Adrenaline flowed freely through him again as he broke into a sprint towards the two, snatching his katana off the ground along the way.

"NO!"

The desperate shout rumbled out of him as he bodily tackled Naoto out of the Shadow's hand. The katana was still racing towards him, so he raised his own to intercept the fatal strike. He was only able to watch as the dark blade cut clean through his and bit straight into his chest. The edge forced itself out of his back, the end coated in blood as Souji buckled to his knees. His clothes started to absorb the blood that was slowly flowing out of the wound, and he dimly registered dropping his broken katana as Naoto cried out in anguish. "You...missed."

Shadow Souji planted its foot on Souji's shoulder and pushed him off the katana, sighing and turning away as he fell into Naoto's arms. Her hands were stained with blood as she touched Souji's face, with him managing a weak smile as she fumbled to say anything at all. "Looks like...the knife was real this time."

"This isn't the time for jokes…"

"_She's right. The least you can do is look yourself in the eye."_

Souji looked up at the Shadow and coughed, meeting its eyes as he took in a slow breath. "I..."

* * *

**So, uh...yeah. **


	17. Bad End: Shattered Glass

**In case you didn't see the title, this is a bad ending. I'm taking a page out of FYL's book because I agree with Fiyerna's reasoning. Here's my go of it.**

* * *

"I can't...You are not me."

The Shadow looked utterly disappointed, but it nodded slowly as Souji coughed again, dropping its katana and sitting in front of Souji. Naoto had lapsed into a sorrowful silence, knowing that Souji had practically put himself to death with his rejection of the Shadow. "_I see...then, this is where it ends."_

Souji slowly breathed his last as his Shadow faded away, a legion surrounding him and Naoto as she started to sob quietly. Her gun was lying a few feet away, but all drive to fight had left her. She simply sat and cradled the body of her boyfriend as the surrounding shadows closed in.

The next morning, three bodies were found on one of Inaba's many TV antennas.

Adachi sat back against the wall as he watched the news report detailing the names and lives of the new victims, scoffing at the so-called "implications" that pointed to the impossibility of him being the killer. The door opened to reveal Dojima with a needlessly large folder in his hand, filled to the brim with what he could safely assume were photos of the new victims coupled with the "fond" memories of the case two years ago. "Coffee?"

"No. Let's...just get this over with."

Dojima noted that his friend was unusually silent, no doubt because he had lost someone close to him as well because of these new developments. Adachi sighed as he sat heavily in one of the chairs, pinching the bridge of his nose hard as he listened to Dojima sit across from him. "Now, I know we should-"

"How's Nanako-chan?"

The older detective sighed and drummed his fingers against the table. "She's...not taking it well. Of course, Souji's friends are always there for her, all shoulders to cry on, but...even Shiro-...even Naoto was killed. You understand, she lost her damn brother _and_ her sister in one DAY."

His balled fist banged against the table as he shut his eyes tight, looking to the table as Adachi watched quietly. "How did this even happen…?"

Adachi dropped the facade he held for one moment and simply said, "I don't know, Dojima-san. It's...it's bullshit. A tragedy. I don't know what to tell you."

He looked him in the eye as he looked up from the table. "You were never the killer...were you."

"Well...I can't say I'm not entirely responsible. But those three? Hell no."

Dojima stared at him for a moment before sighing raggedly and opening the folder. "Okay. Let's just...look through these. Have to ask you the regular song and dance, but...try and help me understand, yeah?"

Adachi took one of the files and looked at the picture of the profile adorning it. Souji stared back at him, though the picture itself lacked the life Adachi saw dancing in his eyes the last time he saw him. His eyes slowly scanned the information written down until his sight focused on the most recent pictures of the body. He dropped the file on the table and leaned back in the chair, a long sigh flowing out of him as he pinched the bridge of his nose again. "You...idiot."

[- - -]

Dao silently watched the TV feed of Souji's failure to accept his Shadow, punching the screen and walking away to where Jisi was sitting and watching the corrupted Inaba crumble. "What do you think?"

He grunted as he sat down, shaking his head as Jisi watched him carefully. "There's nothing to say. He failed. Mission fail. The world's dying. He's just...just one of the first."

"Is that what you really think?"

He looked out over the cityscape, shaking his head again and sighing. Clouds were filling the red sky, and red rain was pouring down on the city. He let the water hit his face as he said, "Does it matter now?"

[- - -]

Mitsuru read the report Labrys handed her, quietly looking at Junpei to take her out of the room. The girl was no doubt in tears because of the third victim, the reformed redhead. Truly, a tragedy all around. They all had so much potential, both as spearheads of the future and as fighters, unwilling to fall to any threat. She looked at the pictures of the three who died, holding her face and sighing sorrowfully as she dropped the report on her desk. Pulling out her phone, she dialed a familiar number. "Akihiko?"

_"Yeah.__"_

"Would you mind coming in?"

The losses were severe, to be sure, but this was not the time for long periods of mourning. Judging by Hanamura's recounting of the situation, much preparation would be necessary. _"Sure, I can be there in a half hour. Need me to bring anything?"_

"Coffee would be helpful."

[- - -]

Try as he might, there was nothing Adachi could do to condemn himself as the murderer of the three new victims. In light of the new details, it was concluded that him being the killer was an impossibility. So here he was, awaiting the new details regarding his sentence, and there was nothing he could do but stay silent and accept the terms that would come. He paced in his cell and looked out the window, leaning on the wall and sighing.

"Failure seems to be a running theme in this damn town…"

As if someone had heard him, rain started to come down, pelting against the glass of his window as he watched silently. For maybe the fifth time that day, he pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. "You dumbass."

* * *

**The next, true chapter will be ready...eventually. **

**Thanks for reading.**


	18. To Carry On

**Writing this feels weird. I mean...I started two or so years ago, and I wanted to write because I love the pairing. As such, I wrote just cutesy stuff. Still am, but now we're here. **

**This is also nowhere near the best story in the Persona archive. It's just...kind of a thing, I guess.**

**With this big (by my standards, at least) story, it's like...I don't know. What I do know, at the very least, is that I'm gonna keep going. Sorry for whatever this note was.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He closed his eyes and held Naoto's hand as he spoke. "You are me. And you...are right. I wanted to protect them all. I would die for my friends. As...heh...as you can see here."

The Shadow chuckled with Souji, a sound devoid of any aggression or mocking. "It got to the point where I was destroying myself so they wouldn't meet the same fate."

"_Yeah?"_

"Yeah. I wanted to preserve my castle. You understand that, right?"

"_Hm...I do. And that's good enough for me."_

The Shadow started to flicker like a broadcast signal that was losing strength. He looked at his hand and offered it to Souji, who shook it as firmly as he could, given the circumstances. "_It's been something. Good luck."_

"Yeah, I really needed the hole...in my chest."

The Shadow smiled one more time and shrugged before it disappeared into a small cloud of mist that slowly swirled in the air until it formed a small, shining orb; one that Souji recognized as it floated down and landed in his waiting palm.

"Oh, look...shiny thing."

Souji closed his fingers around the Orb of Sight and sighed. Just then, Sho came stumbling out of the ruined building, swords sheathed and knife in his belt. "Hoooly shit. You got wrecked, didn't ya?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Souji bleeding out, pulling the jacket wrapped around his waist and instructing Naoto to help him staunch the bleeding. She was mumbling broken apologies through her tears, trying to say something coherent until Sho gently smacked the back of her head. "Focus."

"Thanks, I think I have a n-new...respect for red."

Sho scoffed and shook his head as he pulled the sleeves around the makeshift bandage. "Still annoying. That's good, at least."

Souji closed his eyes but opened them blearily when Sho slapped his cheek. His voice was starting to slur from exhaustion and the pain lulling him to sleep. "What are you doin'...tryin' to sleep here."

"Yeah, can't let ya do that just yet. That means you're dying."

"I am? Oh...that's a thing...Hey, Naoto."

Naoto tried to smile down at him, brushing some hair off his face as a weak sigh rattled out of him. "Hello, Souji-kun."

"I'm not leaving you...okay?"

Sho sat back as his keen ears picked up a few more people entering the area, silently listening to the two chat about nothing in particular. Naoto, of course, was doing most of the talking, taking care to keep him comfortable and take his focus off the obvious pain. He raised a hand to wave over the newcomers. "Over here!"

Yukiko and someone he barely recognized ran over. Maybe because the weirdo was actually wearing normal clothes. "Damn...the hell happened to him?!"

"Now's not the time, Sanada. You- heal him, quicklike."

Sho pulled the distraught Naoto out of the way and hastily gestured for Yukiko to get to work, which she did in earnest. Akihiko slipped on some padded gloves and scooped Naoto's gun off the floor, handing it to the detective with a small handkerchief. "Come on, skinny. Up and at 'em."

Sho followed his lead, brandishing a sword with both hands. He spoke to Naoto before biting down on the handle of his knife. "C'mon. Shadows are attracted to this kind o' crap."

Akihiko ducked and wound his fist back, darting forward and smashing through the first shadow he saw. "Come on!"

Naoto shook her head and slapped her cheeks resolutely, cocking the pistol and standing. "Yamato."

The Persona appeared as the other two fighters called their own, standing behind Naoto and saluting with her sabre. "Yukiko-san."

She looked over her shoulder, eyes gleaming with her usual determination once again. "Please take care of him."

Yukiko nodded to the back of her head, setting to work on having her Persona heal Souji. The silverette was barely awake, the only indication that he was being the low, laborious breaths he took as he lay on the ground. The three defenders were tearing into the surrounding shadows with almost righteous fury. She turned her attention back to Souji and felt dread begin to wear on her back. Souji was fully unconscious now, turning pale as his face tightened with pain. "Come on, stay with me…"

Sumeo-Okami glowed even brighter, flames appearing on her shoulders as Souji was bathed in more light; while his minor wounds had already sealed and were healing rapidly, the hole in his chest was only shrinking the smallest fraction. Her eyes widened in shock; this was far more serious than she initially thought.

Souji was dying.

Yukiko focused as much as her mind could manage to push more power into her Persona, but his injuries were far outweighing her power. Just then, Naoto ran back and holstered her gun, crouching next to Yukiko and asking, "How is he coming alo-"

She cut herself short when she saw Souji was completely still, and she could see Yukiko start to tear up in the corner of her eye. "H-he isn't healing…"

Yukiko shook her head fiercely and hugged herself, the realization digging into both of them. "I-I can't...His smaller wounds have already healed, but t-this...it's too serious…"

"No...There- there has to be _something_ we can do!"

Naoto took Souji's face in her hands, gently patting his cheeks and shaking him. "Souji-kun…? Souji, wake up."

Desperation filled her voice as Souji didn't respond, head lolling a bit as she shook him again. Akihiko ran over, followed by Sho. The two of them saw Naoto breaking down as well as the reason why, and Yukiko was starting to feel tears stream down her cheeks. "Souji…?"

Naoto clenched her fists in Souji's shirt, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes as she slowly pressed her face into his shirt. When she felt the blood dampen her cheek, she broke. Her voice came out in ragged gasps as she held him, tears flowing freely as she cried out. "You can't be dead- you can't! You said you weren't going to leave! Souji, please just...wake up! Say something- one of your stupid jokes o-or say something about me, just...anything! Souji!"

Akihiko reached down and touched her shoulder, urging her to get off Souji so he could reach down and pick him up. Sho held her back, ducking around her elbow as she fought blindly to get back to Souji. She slowly tired, and Sho held her arm as she fell to her knees as she cried in both sorrow and frustration. Her face felt hot, and her vision was blurring from the tears, and the only sound she could manage was a low, miserable whine.

Why couldn't it have been her?

[- One week later -]

_Tap-tap-tap…_

…

_Bam-bam-BAM-_

"Stop…The door is unlocked."

Rise opened the door slowly, putting on her best smile as her friend looked up at her from where she had buried her face in her arms. "You can stop moping now. The car's here."

"…Hm."

The idol walked in and put a hand on the detective's back, worried by her lack of recognition. "We should go. Akihiko-san already brought your stuff."

"I shouldn't have packed that suitcase."

Rise huffed at that, tugging on the collar of Naoto's shirt. She stood reluctantly and looked Rise in the eye before her vision darted to the side. Rise felt a pang of sympathy for her poor friend; she was a bit paler than usual, and bags were just beginning to form under her eyes. "Didn't sleep well, huh."

"No."

"C'mon. You can rest up in the car. If you have a nightmare, you can just squeeze my hand or something."

Naoto frowned slightly and shook her head, taking her friend by the shoulder and grabbing her keys off her desk. "I doubt it will come to that, Rise-sa-…Rise-chan."

She followed her out of the apartment and watched for a moment as Naoto locked the door, smiling softly as the detective turned to her. "Let's…get this over with."

"Come on. Walk with me."

Naoto fell into step with her silently, keeping her head bowed slightly as if the sun hurt her eyes. It hurt the idol to see her friend like this, so she plastered another smile on her face and locked arms with her. Naoto gave her a quizzical look but didn't respond with hostility. That was progress, at least.

Naoto had been silent for the past seven days, barely answering calls and rarely going outside. It showed, of course, and she had her reasons. They were very grim ones, but they were reasons. So her friends left her alone, for the most part, until Akihiko followed up on their situation. "_We'll need you guys to come on over to the Okina headquarters. We can get you fitted out and it won't be as suspicious as…walking around town with duffel bags and suitcases. I'll send a car over in a day or so."_

Naoto had simply summarized what he had said into a text and forwarded it to every team member. Every member…except for one. So they prepared, some eagerly, others with recognition of their new task. Naoto had finished preparations as soon as she could so she could focus on- "Naoto-kun?"

"Ah…yes, Rise-chan?"

Rise smiled tiredly and gestured to the car, where Naoto could see their friends were already seated. Her sight followed the door to scan the length of the vehicle; it was not a car, it was a limousine. "I was under the impression that Akihiko-san knew what a car was…"

"Oh, good. You can still snark with the best of them! Go on, get in."

Naoto scoffed softly and stepped into the car, offering a slight duck of her head when she noticed that Akihiko was there as well. She tucked herself into one of the corner seats and took care to give Rise enough room. Akihiko watched her quietly and motioned for the driver to set out. The limo started moving, and Naoto rested her head against the window and sighed as the surroundings started to pass by. "You can see him as soon as we get there."

She opened her eyes and glanced at Akihiko, a small smile crossing her features when the offer registered. "Thank you, Akihiko-san."

The boxer returned the smile and struck up a conversation with Chie, who was apparently enamored with being his disciple. Yosuke was hung out to dry by this, so Teddie set to work comforting him uselessly. Rise put a hand on her shoulder again and smiled, quietly assuring Naoto that now would be a good time to catch some sleep. Naoto smiled and crossed her arms, sighing softly and closing her eyes.

Sleep was as difficult as it had been the past week.

Rise started slightly when she felt Naoto's hand close around her own, and she had to take a moment to be surprised at the smaller girl's strength. Sympathy overwhelmed her when she saw the wrinkles around her eyes, as if she was refusing to see something right in front of her. She was mumbling something, but Rise failed to make it out when Naoto pulled her hand away and curled against the window. Whatever she was dreaming about was clearly torturing her.

_Naoto watched the two Souji's fight, the mirrors exchanging blows once more as she was only able to look on. She tried to move, but it was as if she was being weighed down by heavy chains._

_The fight seemed to be following the same format as the real deal, but there was a key difference._

_Souji was favoring one leg. The pressure on the original was ramping up, until Souji was on his back, and his Shadow was poised to stab him again. The wound in his leg that she thought was long healed was now openly bleeding, and Souji was taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Suddenly, the Shadow looked over to her and grinned, ducking its head in thanks. "Good shot! You made this so much easier."_

_Naoto was puzzled by what it meant, feeling control of her body slowly return to her. As she raised her hand, however, she fervently wished that she hadn't. Her revolver was resting in her palm, and, upon inspecting the cylinder, she discovered that one bullet was missing._

Naoto gasped as she jolted awake, quickly looking at her hands and letting a soft sigh escape when she saw there was no gun. Shuddering softly, she tucked her hands snugly into her coat and tried not to think about her nightmare. She slowly opened her eyes again when she felt something on her lap. Looking down, she saw Rise slumbering quietly, seemingly content to use her friend as a pillow. Naoto smiled quietly and pulled the small bands out of her hair to free her locks. Rise hummed quietly and snuggled into her leg. Meanwhile, Naoto looked around and noted that her friends were in a similar state; evidently, a few hours had passed since she had fallen asleep.. Akihiko, however, was watching over them like an older brother would, occasionally glancing over at her like he knew something was wrong. When he saw she was awake, he smiled slightly and reached into a small door to pull out a bottle of what looked like juice. He offered it to her, and, after a moment, she took it. "Thank you."

"I figured you'd be thirsty when you woke up."

It took a sip for Naoto to realize how dehydrated she felt from before the ride even started. She took a longer draft before putting the bottle down and looking at Akihiko again. He waved his hand slightly as a request to keep voices down. "You were...kind of panicking while you were sleeping."

"I see...it's been a...the past few days have been hectic."

"Hectic's one way to describe 'em. I'm sorry I had to drop this on you, but hey. Now you can visit Souji."

Naoto looked away, playing with the cap of the bottle for a moment before taking a breath. "I hope so. Have you been given any updates on his situation?"

"The doctor would know what technical crap to tell you, but it...just doesn't look good. The wounds are one thing, but the fever is being pretty rough on him."

"The fever...ah."

She remembered faintly how Souji and Rise would come and go, and there was even a time where she found the former sleeping at her desk.

"_Senpa- oh. "_

_Souji slowly opened his eyes, blinking quickly as his vision focused on Naoto watching him warily. "O-oh. Hey, Naoto. Are you feeling better?"_

_It was as he was rubbing his eyes that he noticed just where he was and what he was doing. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I mean, I was just planning to make you some dinner, then-"_

_As amusing as it was to see the leader ramble, Naoto felt it was necessary to calm him down. So, she put her hands forward and shook her head, saying, "Please, it's all right. Thank you for your concern."_

_Souji quieted at that, sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he gestured to the kitchen with his free hand. "Well, dinner's ready whenever you feel hungry."_

_Naoto nodded her thanks and sat down in one of TV room chairs, motioning for him to stay seated when he tried to rise. "You're looking much healthier than the last time I was here."_

"_Oh…?"_

_She glanced at him but quickly looked away, nodding again as she considered him. Aside from his look as the obvious leader of the group, she barely knew anything about the supposed everyman of Inaba. He had looks (that was something she tried to pay little mind), he had the attitude and mannerisms, and, most surprisingly, he was a powerful combatant. "How long have I been sick?"_

"_Mm, I'd say just over a week. Rise would come by when you were awake enough to change clothes, and I just dropped by to cook. The weather didn't do too much for you, but we managed. At least...I think we did. How do you feel?"_

_Naoto tugged at the collar of her shirt, looking down and starting a bit at the cartoony design on it. "Where did I-..."_

"_Ah, must be something Rise bought for you. She told me earlier that your wardrobe was, uh...lacking, in comfortable clothes."_

_The t-shirt was...something, but Naoto couldn't deny the fact that it was comfortable. It would do for now. "I see."_

_This was interesting. Naoto sat back in her seat and looked to Souji once more; he simply smiled awkwardly. "Well, while you're here, would you mind if we talked? I could use an update on the going-ons of the past week."_

_Souji smiled more naturally this time; it would seem that he was comfortable with this topic. "Sure. Where should I start?"_

"I see."

"Are you okay…?"

Naoto looked at Akihiko again, and for the first time that day she felt the exhaustion from the past week catch up with her. "...No."

[- - -]

When the limo arrived at it's destination, Akihiko got out first. Mitsuru was waiting for them in front of the doors to the Okina branch of the Kirijo Group's operations. He smiled instinctively when she nodded at the other friends getting out of the car. "Welcome, all of you. I'm sorry we had to meet again under such circumstances."

Each of them offered a short greeting, but Naoto stopped in front of her, sensing that her attitude was strangely stiff. "All of you can head inside. However, Naoto-san, I would like to speak with you for a bit."

Akihiko came forward, confused by Mitsuru's request. Naoto could tell this was not part of the original plan. "Shouldn't we let her visit him, at the very least?"

"It's alright. Please, I will help in any way that I can."

Naoto raised a hand placatingly before the two could argue, noting the look Akihiko gave her when she spoke up. Whether it was admiration, sympathy, or pity was anyone's guess. "Are you sure?"

She nodded once. "I am. Lead the way, Mitsuru-san."

[- - -]

"She's talking way more formally than usual."

Yosuke looked up at Kanji's words, shrugging and focusing on finding a drink. "Doesn't she always?"

"Nah, it's more like...when she first met us, y'know? Always helpin' people first. I mean, it's nice of her, but...she's the one who's falling apart."

"Talking real insightful here, man."

"Shut up! Isn't there something we can do?"

Yosuke stopped what he was doing and looked at his younger friend, a small frown etched on his face. "The best thing for her is seeing Souji up and about. And we both know that won't happen for a while."

"Do you...do you think Senpai'll be okay?"

The fridge he had found and opened was slammed shut, and Yosuke rested his head on the cold metal as he muttered, "Damn well better be."

[- - -]

Naoto's eyes were unreadable as she scanned the tablet, nodding as she quickly processed the information. "So you're saying that the damage is too great to determine whether or not he will survive."

Both Mitsuru and Akihiko were surprised by Naoto's blunt summary, but the former decided it was best to be honest and not beat around the bush. "Yes. Souji-san is incredibly resilient, but the wounds he sustained would likely have killed many others."

"Is...is there anything we can do?"

"Our medical technology is advanced for its time, and the public can't know about it because he's being treated at one of our facilities. That's not the difficult part. Aside from his wounds, he's been suffering from a high fever. For the past few days, he's been drifting in and out of consciousness. The doctor tells me he says your name sometimes."

"Nightmares?"

"Possibly. It could be that he's unwittingly calling for your company, regardless."

"I see...Souji-kun aside, what would our plan be regarding Dao?"

"We've relocated the television from Junes to one of our spare rooms. Of course, we experimented with where one would land when entering from a different location, but the destination seems to remain as the studio we saw a while ago."

That was some good news in the whirlwind of bad. "Has there been any activity?"

"It's been largely silent since the last week, but we're still anticipating anything. The only sign of disturbance has been several large shadows manifesting in select zones of the world."

"Shadows?"

"Yes, but they look...oddly familiar. They wear masks."

Naoto looked up quickly and stared Mitsuru down. "...Masks? Adorned with Roman numerals."

Mitsuru nodded. "Indeed. You've seen them before, as well?"

"Yes. We've...fought a good number of them. Souji was usually landing the finishing blow, and he's been collecting the masks, too. Most of them, as far as I remember."

"Collecting them…? Interesting."

Naoto blinked tiredly and coughed before saying, "...Forgive me, but I believe that there is a better time to discuss this. If you do not mind, I would like to visit Souji."

She stood, bowing politely as Kirijo looked on. "Of course. I'll have Akihiko take you to his room."

Akihiko moved away from where he was standing behind Mitsuru, gesturing for Naoto to follow him as he headed to the door. "Let's go whenever you're ready."

Naoto nodded once, straightening her back as she followed him out the door. "Lead on."

[- - -]

Sho ducked around the dummy, throwing a hook into its side and weaving around it to add a fast jab. He wound his upper body back to lend momentum into his next clothesline, lifting it with his knee and kicking it against the wall with his other leg. Teddie winced and slowly urged Rise to stand behind him as Chie eagerly hopped in and rebounded it to Sho with a hefty kick. The redhead looked surprised before snapping to attention and slamming it against the floor with his fist. The impact sent it flying back towards Chie, who proceeded to join in the little game of back-and-forth. Yukiko watched for a moment before sighing and looking to Rise and Teddie. "Have any of you been able to see Souji-kun?"

"I figured we should let Naoto-kun see him first."

Rise shrugged and sat on the floor, leaving Teddie to watch the weird game of volleyball as the two conversed. "This atmosphere is really discouraging…"

"Sensei would've said to cheer up. I mean...I'm bearly a substitute for him, but we should keep our chins up, right?"

Rise smiled and gently punched the boy's leg. "We'll try our best. Right, Yukiko-senpai?"

Yukiko mirrored the expression and watched as Sho punted the dummy, punching it to Chie. She leaped and kicked it at the door, not noticing the person who was entering. Thankfully, she ducked it and threw it at Sho. He didn't see a giant rubber dummy to the back of the head coming, and he fumed as he whirled around and confronted the attacker. "Hey- oh. H-hey."

"Heya, Sho-kun."

[- - -]

"Will you be okay alone?"

Naoto managed a small smile at the concern in Akihiko's voice, and she took the doorknob in her hand as she said, "I'll be fine. Thank you for bringing me here."

The boxer looked like he wanted to say more, but seeing the look in her eye when she looked to the bed in the room silenced him. "...Sure. Call if you need anything."

Naoto thanked him and shut the door, nervously brushing her hair back as she peeked into the room. She let out a weak gasp as she saw the man who risked everything for her. "Oh…"

Souji was laying on the bed, eyes closed as he seemed to be sleeping, but a trained eye could see that his breath was labored, and his eyes tightened painfully whenever he took in air. Almost every part of his upper torso was bandaged in some way, and his hands looked bruised from the force of his reckless punches. Dried blood was visibly soaked into the material. Naoto carefully made her way around the bed and moved one of the chairs sitting in the corner closer. "Are you awake?"

No response. "The, um...Mitsuru-san told me that you say my name sometimes. I'm here now, so-…" She choked back a sob and forced a smile onto her face as she reached over and carefully placed her hand over his. "I-I'm here now...so can you wake up?"

The only indication that Souji was remotely conscious was his breathing and the familiar warmth of his hand. She thought she felt his hand tighten over hers, but she was unsure of whether it was real or if she was imagining what she so desperately wanted. "Of course...rest for as long as you need."

She squeezed gently and took a breath, looking away and undoing her ponytail. She dropped the hair tie on the small table next to Souji's bed as she murmured, "We still have a lot of work to do. Thankfully, we have Akihiko-san, Mitsuru-san. Maybe we can contact the other operatives, too. I may be elected as the leader again in your place. I never was good at that…"

She chuckled softly and leaned back in the chair, letting go of his hand and ruffling her hair. She coughed to clear her throat and rested her elbows on her knees. A familiar burn stung her eyes as she tried to cough again and croaked out, "I-I'll try, of course, but...I don't know how much I can do. I don't have your skill...Souji, I need your help here."

Souji remained unresponsive, so Naoto smiled bitterly and brushed his forehead with the back of her hand. Tears started to bead at the corners of her eyes, and she choked on her words as she whispered, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Souji-kun. Just…please, wake up."

She took his hand and pressed her cheek into his palm, desperately hoping for some kind of response. When she received nothing, it was difficult not to despair. "Wake up..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, the tears she had been fervently holding back forced themselves out. Sobs that she had forced down sprang out unbidden, and the silent room was filled with the sound of her crying.

Akihiko sighed from where he was leaning on the wall, pushing himself off it and walking down the hall. He quietly set the bento he was carrying on one of the benches outside the room.

[- - -]

A man quietly let himself into the room, carrying the bento that the boxer had left outside. He set it on the table next to the slumbering girl, careful not to wake her. Adjusting his tie, he stepped back and carefully looked over his young charge. Reaching a hand out, he smiled as he saw a soft glow come from the bedridden boy's heart. "Your body is broken, but your soul burns as bright as ever."

A familiar grin spread across his face as he clenched a fist towards the man in the bed, a soft blue glow rising from his hand. The energy spread to his target, engulfing him in a warm light.

"Now is not your time to die, Souji."

The man watched for another minute before disappearing into a wisp of fog.

Naoto woke up two hours later.

She wiped the dried tears away and slapped her cheeks gently. As she stood, she looked down at Souji; he seemed to be breathing a little easier since before she fell asleep beside him. Her gaze wandered to the box sitting next to the bed. She silently picked up the bento and opened it, smiling a bit at the neatly arranged sushi waiting for her. A note was stuck to the lid of the box, and it read:

_Please eat as much as you like. You looked so tired when Mitsuru-senpai asked for you._

_Fuuka_

Naoto carefully broke the chopsticks that were under the note, sitting up in her chair as she got ready to try some of the food. She ate silently, chewing mechanically as her sight focused on Souji again. "...Hm…"

Setting the box down, she reached up to her neck and undid the chain of the necklace around it. She held it up carefully, reverently before standing and putting it around Souji's neck. Quietly fixing the lock, she delicately pressed her forehead to his and whispered, "Rest up. You still owe me a date."

She kissed the same spot quickly and let herself out, heading to the building lobby from memory. Sho was there already, talking with a familiar looking figure. His keen ears picked up her almost-silent footsteps, and he inclined his head towards her so he could blink in greeting. "Hey."

"Hello."

"Ah, Naoto-kun!"

Naoto leaned a bit to the side and smiled softly at Labrys, who waved eagerly as she made her way over to the detective. Instead of a Yasogami uniform, she was clad in a simple dress shirt and slacks. It was a strangely fitting combination. Before she could offer her greeting, Naoto was pulled into a powerful bear hug by the mechanical maiden. "H-hello, Labrys. It's nice to see you again."

"You too! I'm glad you guys showed up."

Naoto coughed and awkwardly patted Labrys' arm as a signal to let her go. "Right. W-would you mind setting me down?"

Labrys obeyed immediately, settling for a high five and a smile. "So, I hope ya don't mind, but I'll be joining you guys today! Is that okay?"

"I'm grateful for the help. Minazuki-san, would you mind coming with us, too?"

Sho shrugged and smiled wolfishly at Labrys. "This one's a ditz. If she goes, I go."

"Hey!"

Naoto watched the two bicker with a small smile, bowing politely and saying, "Thank you both."

Labrys smiled gently at the detective and reached over to ruffle her hair. "Souji-kun'll be fine, quit poutin'."

Naoto fixed her hair and nodded at the remark. "I'm sure he will be."

The three started down one of the building's many hallways, and Naoto took the opportunity to start learning more about just where she was. "So this is the Okina headquarters for the Kirijo Group?"

"Mhm. The company that wanted this building went bankrupt, so we bought it out."

"And it has a medical branch…?"

"More like a super advanced infirmary. We never really needed to use it other than for taking naps and getting bandages."

"I see. How many stories?"

"Three. First floor's the lobby and business focused stuff. Never really go there anyway."

They made their way up a staircase as Sho continued. "Second floor's the fun floor. Armory, training room, stuff that shouldn't be publicized. This is where the real work happens."

"And the third?"

"Executive offices. And some bedrooms we adapted. That's where you guys'll be stayin' if you want to just hang out. Otherwise, there's some apartments that are pretty close by."

"We'll see. I assume everyone's been briefed?"

"Yep. Mitsuru-san's taking care of some outside business, but Akihiko's free. Dunno if you want him to come with, but there's that."

"Okay."

Sho pulled open one of the many doors in the hallway they found themselves in, gesturing for the girls to go first. "This is it."

Naoto whistled as she looked around, nodding at the group gathered in the room. "This is a definite step up from a Junes basement…"

The room was clean and large, and it didn't look very different from their secret war room . Their equipment was in the same corners, and someone was thoughtful enough to haul her workbench materials over as well. "Interesting."

Akihiko nodded at her, gesturing to one of the tables. "Brought your bag over. There's a key to one of the rooms in it if you want it."

"Thank you."

She opened the bag and pulled out a silver case, undoing the latches and picking up a few metal pieces. "What are those?"

"Firepower."

"...Wait, what?"

"Daidara-san has been working on a little project of mine for a while now. He finished it during the past week."

She quietly fitted the various bits and pieces together, making sure each was cleaned and locked in place before moving on. Finally, she installed a small stock to the base of her new gun, testing how fast she could adjust it before spinning the cylinder experimentally. "This should do nicely."

A black revolver rested in her hand, more imposing than the original Black Hole in every way. The stock installed on the back of the handle was collapsed, but it would provide stability when she needed it. Rather than the original five round cylinder, the new one would be able to house ten thanks to efficient spacing on the light metal. The originally snubbed barrel was about an inch longer, for the sake of range and preservation of power. Akihiko whistled at the craftsmanship, and even Sho was impressed. "Looks like that can do some real damage."

"Mm. Akihiko-san, how are you with leading a team?"

"I can do the basics, but I think Yosuke'll be better at it."

Yosuke shrugged and adjusted his hoodie, nodding at Naoto when she looked at him. "Sure. Just let me know what you want me to do."

The detective turned and looked at the TV, speaking in a tone just loud enough for the rest to hear. "Kanji-kun, Chie-san. You two will be joining Yosuke-san and Akihiko-san."

The two nodded, with Kanji hefting up his Plate and Chie bouncing in place to test her footwear. "I apologize."

Rise, Yukiko and Teddie all had their own reactions to the apology, but the boy spoke first. "S'fine. We can tour the building while you guys are gone, I guess. Maybe we'll visit Sensei!"

Naoto smiled as she turned, fixing her holster over her shirt as the group all readied themselves for the expedition. "Then we all know what we're doing. We shall depart when we're all ready."

* * *

**To say that my scope for this story has expanded a lot is...a severe understatement. I mean, here we have the Persona 3 cast joining in. **

**So yeah, here we are. Real exciting for me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Till next time!**


	19. Duality

**As if the cast wasn't big enough, I have to throw another character in there. Of course, their inclusion changes a lot about the story and the past, but I think they'll make a fine addition. I also happen to like these changes.**

**Hehe...aah, I love fanfiction.**

* * *

"We all know our roles. Move out, and stay within Kouzeon's network."

Yosuke simply nodded, walking with Akihiko as they headed towards the old lab. The first "shadow" had appeared there, so Naoto took it upon her squad to hunt down the second; this one had appeared in the area near Yasogami. "Are the two of you ready?"

Labrys unlatched the axe from her back and spun it a few times, tossing it up and letting it reattach with a grin. "You bet! It's been so long since I saw some real action!"

"And Minazuki-san?"

Sho checked his equipment and, after a moment of thought, adjusted his sheathes so both swords lay on one hip. His knife was securely tucked into his belt on his other side, such that it was easy to draw and quickly throw or swing. "I'm good. And you, detective?"

Naoto habitually spun the cylinder of her gun, closing her eyes and listening to the satisfying whirring noise it made. "I'm ready. Let's head out, then-"

"Wait."

Sho whirled around and drew his knife, ducking into a crouch as Labrys looked at him quizzically. "What- oh….Shit."

Naoto turned and holstered her gun, raising an eyebrow in surprise at the person who had apparently followed them in. "Have we...met before?"

The man reached up to scratch the back of his head, adjusting the beanie sitting on his head to rest just above his eyebrows. His face was stoic, and the reds and blacks of his simple sweater and cargo pants seemed to complement his temperament. Naoto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the black ono resting comfortably in his other hand. "Doubt it. Name's Shinjiro. Shinjiro Aragaki."

Sho groaned and stood up, sheathing his knife and turning away. "Ugh, why are you even here?"

Naoto ignored him, swallowed her slight fear of the imposing figure, and stepped forward. Shinjiro stared at her as she extended a hand towards him, offering a small, friendly smile to go with it. "Naoto Shirogane. I've heard about you from Akihiko-san."

Of course she did. He took the hand carefully and shook it, returning the smile with a slight duck of his head. "Of course ya did. Anyway. I'll be tagging along today."

"Did Mitsuru-san ask you to, or…?"

"Nah. I just figured it'd be a bad idea to go with a party of three."

The simple logic was impressive. "I see. Thank you for the help, then."

Naoto turned again and talked with Rise about the layout their path as Sho glowered at Shinjiro. The latter, being Shinjiro, simply stared back in abject boredom. "...What, punk?"

"Nothing, younger punk."

Shinjiro pushed Sho's head while tousling his hair, earning a glare and an offhanded obscene hand gesture for his troubles. Labrys simply scoffed at them and bopped Sho on the shoulder. "Good to see ya again, Shinjiro!"

He looked at her and planted a hand on her head piece, hiding a smile as she protested and backed away a step. "Hey, Lab."

"Alright. Thank you, Rise-chan."

"_Let me know if there's any other way I can help."_

Naoto drew her revolver and tapped the barrel against her leg, nodding to herself as she went over her fresh mental map. "Okay. Everyone, we're heading out."

The four set off towards the ruined high school, this time ignoring the portal to Okina and going straight through the shopping district. Sho kept his swords sheathed, similar to Labrys, but his knife was drawn and held in an undergrip. Shinjiro simply kept his axe hooked onto his belt. Naoto couldn't help but smile at the strange circumstances for a moment before refocusing and slowing down. "We should slow down here. This area in particular is rife with shadows."

Shinjiro drew his ono in a flash, turning slowly and readying his arm for a swing. He could see a pale shape through the relatively oppressive fog, but he stayed calm and reached back to nudge Naoto's shoulder. "...That ain't a shadow."

Naoto turned and kept her revolver pointed forward, but what greeted her eyes stunned her into silence. A shade, wearing a mask marked with an 'VIII', hauled itself into view. It resembled a shadow, almost like the tall Knights they had fought numerous times, but the dark, emaciated skin visible under the broken armor seemed to tell a different story. The lance that was resting in its hand was broken, dulled almost to the point of disintegrating, and chains were embedded in its back, as if it had broken free of some terrible prison. The bonds made low, scratching noises as they dragged along the ground. It looked up at them, black fog flowing off the back of its head, and roared. Angrily.

[- - -]

"I dunno. Wrestling's kinda...eh. Aren't the fights staged?"

"Well, yeah, but...there's somethin' awesome about the old stories. Like there's this one where Red Hawk showed up and threw the champ outta the ring. There was pyrotechnics and everything, it was great!"

Akihiko chuckled at the thought of a sentai ranger wrestling in a brightly lit stadium. "You saying that didn't happen on the TV show?"

Kanji grinned and punched his shoulder playfully, reaffirming his grip on the Plate in his other hand. "Now you're talkin'!"

Yosuke looked back at the two and shook his head, hiding his smile as Chie asked, "What are they talking about?"

"Entertainment." He looked to her quietly as she bounced along, her smile betraying nothing if she was hiding anything. "You okay?"

"Sure! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, we kinda got our asses kicked last time we came here."

"Yeah, but...Rise-chan told us more about his fighting style. Remember?"

"He's still pretty tough."

"You worry too much. Souji'll get better, then we'll end all o' this as a team. Just like the old days!"

"You say that like it happened a long time ago."

"Well, it did, didn't it-"

The ground rumbled, and black lightning streaked across the sky as the fog around them thickened. "Oh. that's good."

Akihiko ran forward with Kanji in tow, ducking into a stance with both fists up as he saw a pair of glowing eyes peer through the fog. "Heads up. Looks like a big one."

The owner of the eyes came forward, but no one could find the right words when it appeared in full. "_A-a shade? Oh, no…"_

A ruined mannequin was wearing the mask adorned with a 'VII', suspended in the air by a contraption that could best be described as ghastly. A wheel was attached to its back, with four clocks locked onto the four borders. The time they displayed was 12:00, and the wheel seemed to be empty, save for a small needle on the far left. "It look like an alarm clock from hell…"

Kanji steeled himself and charged forward, jumping and raising his Plate over his head. Akihiko blinked and ran after him, fist raised to strike at the moment of impact. The two blows landed heavily, but fog reached out and threatened to swallow the two attackers as a roar rang out through the air. It sounded like it was coming from the area between Yasogami and the shopping district. An invisible barrier enveloped the shade, blowing Kanji and Akihiko back a few feet as the mannequin groaned eerily. "_Aah, the others ran into another shade. It looks...significantly less creepy."_

The wheel on the shade's back glowed for a bit, the damage done to it erased before their eyes. "The hell?"

"_It looks like the shade that Naoto-kun's team is fighting is protecting that one! They'll have to destroy that one first."_

Yosuke readied his Malakh daggers and cast Youthful Wind on the party. "So we're supposed to just...dodge?"

"_Guess so. Look for weak points if there are any. Good luck, guys."_

The mannequin's head wound back, breathing a sickly green gas into the air. Yosuke's eyes widened and he pushed Chie behind him and called out to the two active attackers. "Poison! Get back!"

_Of course it has to use status ailments, if it's invincible is HAS to use status ailments. Stupid shadow BS…_

[- - -]

Shijiro raised his ono as the shade loomed over him with a raised fist, but it pivoted quickly, sending on the chains dragging on its back around him and straight towards Naoto.

"Look out!"

Naoto failed to see the attack coming, and she was sent flying back by a hefty blow from the shade. She crashed painfully into one of the many barrels sitting outside the Konishi liquor store. Looking up at the sky in her daze, she groaned and tried to rise. "How do you do it, Souji- ow…"

Labrys ran over and pulled her up by the arm, dusting off her back and checking her arm. "Yeesh, it hit ya pretty hard."

"Hm…?"

Naoto lifted her left arm and couldn't help but gape. Her sleeve was torn to ribbons, and she could see an ugly bruise beginning to form on her forearm. "Damn."

"Here. It's not a healin' spell, but it should help."

Ariadne appeared over Labry's shoulder, raising an alabaster arm towards Naoto's wound. Red-white string appeared out of the air and wound around Naoto's arm, comfortably wrapping around it like a magical bandage. "Does it still hurt?"

Naoto flexed her fingers experimentally, impressed by the effect. "Not anymore. Thank you."

Labrys smiled and clapped a hand onto her shoulder. "Sure. Just get it looked at later, yeah?"

The detective nodded and checked her cylinder, flicking three fresh rounds into it and twirling it on her finger.

Meanwhile, Sho and Shinjiro were working in tandem to bombard the shade. Shinjiro's hard swings were complemented by Sho's lightning fast slashes, his swords almost a blur as cuts rained down. Shinjiro nodded once at Sho when he stopped, crouching and allowing Sho to launch himself off his back. Planting both swords in the shade's neck, he jumped off and pulled it down low enough for Shinjiro to punch it square in the mask. The fog emanating from the back of its head weakened, and it raised its arms above its head in a daze.

"_Naoto-kun, it's stunned and ready for a beatdown!"_

Naoto spun her cylinder and rolled her neck experimentally, mirroring the gesture Souji used when they were about to unleash hell. "We're going all-out."

Naoto crouched quickly and leapt to the side, easily outdistancing the slam meant to crush her. She fell into a quick roll and raised her gun to fire a few rounds, throwing herself under the shade and into a slide so she could fire another two as she stood up behind it. Calling Yamato quickly, she took the Persona's sabre and thrust it into the shade's back, stepping back quickly and gesturing for Labrys to make her move. The android jumped, boosting towards the shade with the jets on her axe before turning in the air and smashing into its back. She let out a quick shout and uppercutted it with an armored fist, the strength of her limb sending it into the air.

Grabbing the axe handle that was still embedded in it, she pulled it down and threw it towards Sho, who was sprinting over with knife in one hand and sword in the other. He quickly hopped, turned and dug the knife into the ground, using the momentum to turn around it and swipe with his sword. As his feet found the earth again, he yanked the knife up and threw it hard, hitting the shade clean in the neck. Using the momentum from the throw, he turned and sliced downward, quickly unsheathing his spare sword and mimicking the attack. He ducked and weaved against it, throwing every fresh cut at a new angle. A final dual slash lent him the ability to hop with it and send his foot crashing into its face.

As it reeled back, he called Tsukiyomi and sent it forward to cleave with its scythe. As the shade reeled back, Shinjiro ran in and pinned it to the ground with a hefty smash of his axe. Pulling it up by the mask, he wound his arm back and embedded the blade into its torso. He yanked it out one more time and let out a shout as he sent it crashing to the floor with a powerful swing. He saw Naoto casting Mind Charge out of the corner of his eye, so he retrieved his axe and wisely ducked out of the way. "Now's the time, detective!"

Naoto opened her eyes, focused on her next attack as she checked that her revolver was fully reloaded. "Strike true…"

She turned on her heel and crouched, adjusting the stock of her revolver and bracing it against her shoulder. Yamato partially manifested behind her and placed a gloved hand above the barrel of the gun, charging the chambered bullets with light. She slowly took in a breath, and, as she let it out, a round slammed into the shade. The light surrounding it condensed into a small ball, almost disappearing completely as she fired round after round into the target. Soon, the gun let out a smoky sigh as the chamber was emptied, and ten pinpoint balls of light decorated the now-downed shade. As it struggled to rise, Yamato raised an arm and snapped her fingers. On cue, the dots flared with almost blinding light, exploding one after another until all ten had detonated.

Naoto took a deep breath, wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead as she stumbled to the remains of the once-imposing shade. It was an almost pitiful figure, struggling to rise as fog weakly flowed out of the fresh cracks in its armor. It looked up at her and growled as she raised her revolver, firing a single shot that ended it for good. She considered the mask the lay on the ground for a moment, reaching down to scoop it up and hook it onto her belt. "May as well…"

"Hey."

Naoto whirled around and fired a blind shot, one that Dao avoided by fading into a wisp of fog. He reappeared as soon as he had disappeared, a wide smile on his now-ghostly face. His eyes glowed merrily when he saw Naoto's expression darken considerably, her eyes tainted by red as she raised her revolver again. Three more shots rang out, soaring towards Dao with startling accuracy. Instead of disappearing completely, his shoulder faded and let the bullets fly past before reforming.

Every tactical instinct told Naoto to stand her ground and coordinate an attack, but she found herself almost stomping forward, firing round after round at Dao. Their targets simply faded out of sight for the moment of impact, and Dao's smile grew wider when he saw Naoto tense her leg. A second later, she was close enough to aim a kick at his head, so he raised his hand to block it just before impact. "Getting there. Is that your best shot?"

Naoto blinked hard as Dao grabbed her leg; she kicked out with her free one and hit him square in the chin. As she fell, she pointed the revolver again and offered a cold smile. "No. These are."

Three more shots rang out, slamming into Dao's chest and sending him back a few paces. He patted his suit, now sporting three hole-shaped tears in near the tie. A low whistle came from him as he dusted the area off, murmuring, "Huh...that actually stung."

"Sho-san."

Sho sprinted forward, skidding low to the ground and throwing his knife at Dao's knee. Unsheathing one sword, he managed to land a solid slash on Dao's chest before the latter's glaive materialized and collided with his blade. Dao kept one arm behind his back as he winked at Sho, putting a bit more pressure on his weapon. "Aren't you that kid who got his ass kicked like...three times?"

An armored elbow crashed into the back of his head, allowing Sho a chance bash him with the sword handle. Shinjiro had arrived by then, grabbing Dao by his tie and lobbing him further away. Sho glanced at Labrys as she flexed her arm and held out his fist; she bumped it with her own and beamed happily. "...Thanks."

"No problem!"

[- - -]

Yosuke slid under a lightning bolt cast by one of the clocks, taking up his dagger and throwing himself into a dive roll. He swiftly cut it as he did, recovering and rolling past again to land another speedy cut. "_Guys! Naoto-kun's team took care of the shade, but Dao's back! I can read physical weak points on the clocks now, so get to it and track her down!"_

"Isn't he messing with her enough as is? Dammit!"

Chie ran past and jumped, crashing onto one of the clocks and stomping it soundly. As the shade reeled back, Akihiko ducked in and crushed another one, grabbing Kanji and shoving him forward. He used the momentum to swing his Plate upwards and smashed the third one. "Yosuke-senpai!"

"Got it. Takehaya!"

Yosuke's daggers were charged with wind, and he threw them towards his Persona as soon as it appeared. Takehaya Susano-o caught them with a current of wind and send them flying straight into the last clock. The mannequin shuddered as its last weapons fell to dust, landing heavily on the ground soon after. Akihiko dashed to it and punched the mask, covering his face with an arm as it faded into black fog. Yosuke took a look at the fallen mask and ducked down to pick it up. "What's that for?"

"I'll explain later. For now, we have to get to the shopping district."

"...Alright. You lead. Can barely see, much less know a town I was in for a day."

"Heh. We'll show you around the real deal if you're up for it later."

[- - -]

Naoto swayed around a back kick from Dao, butting him with Yamato's sabre and firing a round. He dodged it and shoulder tackled her, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her up in the air. Labrys rocketed into his back elbow-first, sending them both into a nearby building. Shinjiro caught Naoto and lowered her to the ground as Sho jumped into the broken building and joined in on the painful-sounding beatdown. Dao was sent flying out a good ten seconds later, recovering with a flip through the air. Naoto fired a charged shot at him as he fell, but he simply deflected the bullet with a quick wave of his hand. "I only said 'hey'. Damn, you're touchy."

"You asked me if you killed any of us earlier. You came close, very recently and with someone I care about dearly. Do _not _expect any mercy from me."

"Heh...you mean the goodie-two-shoes? That wasn't me, kiddo. He was almost killed by his own Shadow, his own little personal crisis. Nooot really my fault- whoop."

He ducked Sho's thrown knife, fog teleporting backwards and grinning. "C'mon, let's be friends here! Souji took off his masks, took a sword to the chest; I took off my mask, and you shot me a few times. Fair's fair, right?"

A bullet to the chest was his answer, and he spied Yosuke's team coming around the corner as he dusted off his suit. "Huh. Guess not. Cavalry's here, so...I'm gonna head out. Ta-ta."

"Wait!"

Naoto fired again, but Dao had already disappeared. "Dammit!"

She holstered her revolver and stomped to where Dao had been standing, sorely tempted to kick the very ground he was standing on. Labrys came forward and carefully put a hand on the agitated detective's shoulder, smiling softly when she turned her head to look at her. "We'll get him. Let's just head back for today."

[- - -]

"Good job, all. That's two more shades down."

Rise grinned at the returning fighters, clapping Naoto cheerily on the shoulder when she saw her arrive. "Cheer up. We're making progress."

She simply hummed quietly in response, murmuring her next question. "Were you able to visit Souji-kun?"

"Hm? Oh, no. Yukiko-senpai and Teddie did, earlier."

"I'm guessing he's no different…?"

"Well...he was awake, actually."

"What?"

Naoto looked up quickly, scanning Rise's face for any sign of joking or lies. "He was awake?"

"He was, but only for a few minutes. Fever's still hitting him pretty hard."

"I see...alright. You should go, regain some energy. Thank you for your help today."

"Want to get something to eat?"

"Maybe...maybe later."

Shinjiro dropped his ono on one of the tables, watching Naoto quizzically as she seemed to dismiss her friend. He reached over to nudge Labrys for her attention, asking quietly to divert suspicion. "What's with her?"

"Oh, I guess you didn't know then. Souji, the, uh...the guy we're taking care of. Um...she's his girlfriend."

At the word 'girlfriend', Shinjiro winced and sighed at the distant look in Naoto's eye as she headed to the door. "Alright. Thanks, Lab."

"Mhm. Gonna do your big softie bit?"

"Shut up."

"Yyyyep. Alrighty, have fun!"

[- 30 minutes later -]

Naoto's hand stopped short of the doorknob to Souji's room. Sighing, she bumped her forehead against the door and closed her eyes. She was considering leaving and finding somewhere to get decent coffee when she felt someone tapping her shoulder. "Rise-chan, I'm not really in the mood to talk."

"Would you be okay with eating something, then?"

…That wasn't Rise.

Turning her head a bit, she saw Shinjiro standing before her, a small bowl of what looked like ramen resting in his hand. Naoto would slap herself later for asking, but she had to know, tired as she was. "Did you make that…?"

Shinjiro looked as if he had heard this before, so he simply sighed and nodded, handing her the bowl and a pair of chopsticks. "Yeah. I did. Must be weird, huh?"

"...No, actually. Souji-kun cooks fairly often. He, er...often jokes about being the ideal housewife."

"Heh. Guess he and I need to have a talk sometime, then."

The two sat in the chairs outside the room, and Shinjiro waited patiently for Naoto to have a few bites before trying to gather some information. "So, uh...this Souji's...pretty close to you, huh?"

"Well, yes. We've been together for a good few years now. Ah, I don't deserve him, I'm sure. I'm grateful to him, but...now he's here, after saving me once again."

She fell into another uncomfortable silence, so Shinjiro awkwardly scratched his head and continued. "I get it. I know what it's like to be saved by someone, and then there's nothin' you can do for a while…"

He reached into one of his pockets and showed Naoto what he found. "This is my old watch. Lost it a while back, but...this girl found it for me. Gave it back, all that. Hmph, what kinda person gives a watch as a gift…"

Upon closer inspection, Naoto could see the cracked glass and the bullet hole resting in the middle. "This thing saved my life. But then the girl had to go somewhere, and...I dunno if I'll ever be able to thank her."

"Shinjiro-san…"

"And call her a moron, but yeah."

"...I see."

Naoto smiled and set the bowl down, balancing the chopsticks on the rim as Shinjiro tucked the watch away. "Thank you."

"Sure. I used to cook for this lot a while back, so it's no trouble."

Whatever Naoto wanted to say next was interrupted by the door right next to them opening, revealing a dazed looking Souji leaning on the door frame. He coughed softly, but didn't seem to notice the people sitting right outside. Naoto could tell he had been sweating, and his face was strained. His eyes were as sharp as ever, but he was almost blindly staring ahead. Naoto carefully reached out to him, and Shinjiro watched quietly as she simply said, "S-Souji?"

* * *

**Kind of a shorter chapter, but I wanted to control the scope a bit before I blew it even more out of proportion. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Also, Shinji! Story implications!**

**In case you were curious with the whole mask shenanigans, this is the order of what the numerals meant, their supposed ability, and their current status.**

**I - Magician [Magic]**

**II - Chariot [Power]**

**III - Priestess [Knowledge]**

**IV/V - Emperor/Empress (Left behind/Assume destroyed)**

**VI - Lovers (Destroyed)**

**VII/VIII - Fortune/Strength (Collected, respectively)**

**That's that! Till next time!**


	20. Fortunate

**I have returned! **

**I was travelling abroad for a while, so it's good to be able to settle down and get back into the feel of writing again. Quality of this chapter may be questionable.**

* * *

"Hey."

Dao slowly opened his eyes, his sight briefly darting to the mask lying in front of him before looking at his visitor. "Still napping?"

"I'm meditating, Jisi."

"Right, 'course you are."

He blinked his ethereal eyes, once, twice. Jisi sat down next to him and assumed the same position he was in, complete with joined hands at her waist. Dao opened one eye to observe, shutting it and scoffing after seeing the look of contemplation on her face. "If you fall asleep on me-"

"Don't worry, I won't muss up your suit."

Dao looked at her again and shook his head. "Just stay quiet, then."

He closed his eyes and slowly let out his breath, feeling the air around him grow warmer as blue flames slowly swirled around him. He took in another as raised a hand to his chest, a glassy card appearing in his palm and slowly turning. The card slowly broke into innumerable shards, each of them bursting into flame as he opened his eyes. As soon as he did, however, they disappeared in a wisp of smoke. He growled to himself as Jisi giggled. "Shut up."

"It's okay. Everyone has an off day."

"My off day's been a few decades now."

"Yeah, but...now you can do something about it."

"...Hm."

After a moment, Jisi quietly rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. Dao glanced at her and put his mask on, subtly looking away as she made a small noise of confusion. "Still don't have a face, sweetie."

"Don't call me that."

He chuckled and tousled her hair, taking care not to touch her with the wisps on his head. "Besides, I hear fire face is all the rage these days."

"...Heard from who?"

"I dunno."

Dao snorted and bumped his mask against her crown. "Figures. Your head's always in the clouds."

"More like my head's always in the smoke, fire face."

"Real clever."

He closed his eyes and brushed his palm against his mask, tensing a bit when he felt Jisi touch his hand. She entwined their fingers when he didn't react. "Someone's clingy today."

"Hmph."

Dao ignited a light Agi spell in his hand and held it aloft, providing some small warmth for his sister. "Takin' the fire face thing seriously, huh?"

"Mhm."

Rather than some jab directed at the theme of fire, Jisi simply closed her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, bro."

Dao blinked from behind the mask and suppressed a smile that no one could see. "...Mhm."

[- - -]

"S-Souji?"

Souji's sight darted to Naoto, recognition dawning on his face as he took in his surroundings. He blew out a slow sigh of relief and nodded, closing his eyes for a moment and opening them to gaze at her. He looked like he was having trouble finding the right words, so he simply settled for, "...Hey."

"Hey."

Shinjiro watched quietly for a moment before remarking, "I see Akihiko left you some clothes."

Souji seemed to just notice that he was there, putting on a small smile and walking close enough to offer his hand. "They're much appreciated. Sorry, um...I'm Souji Seta."

Shinjiro shook his hand firmly, smiling slightly at his manners. "Shinjiro. Shinjiro Aragaki."

Souji wobbled a bit when he stepped back, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naoto nor Shinjiro. The former spoke her concerns first. "You shouldn't be up and about."  
"Naoto, I feel fine enough to walk."

"You're still recovering. The fever itself should be keeping you bedridden."

Souji stopped and let the small smile he was wearing fall away, replacing it with an expression that could best be described as focused. "Right now, the fever's just a headache. Some air would be nice before I go back to bed."

Naoto still looked unconvinced, but Souji held his ground until Shinjiro rose from where he was sitting. "Well, if you say you're good to go, we'll take your word for it."

"Shinjiro-san?"

Shinjiro simply shrugged and started walking, shooting Souji an expectant glance. "If he collapses, we'll just lock him in the room."

Souji raised an eyebrow at that but shrugged in acceptance, smiling softly at Naoto when she subtly surveyed him. "Still in one piece."

She met his eyes at that, slowly offering a small smile of her own. As they started walking, she slipped her hand into his and entwined their fingers quietly. "That you are. I'm...glad you're up and about already."

"Hm. Might not last too long."

"I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on you then."

"Heh...I'm counting on you."

Naoto smiled again, this time more openly, and leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment. Souji held her hand tighter and pocketed his other hand while Shinjiro bluntly summarized what parts of the new building served what purpose. "That's the gist of it."

"I see…"

"We already started tracking down the shadows that've been appearin'. Little miss badass here led one of the teams herself."

Souji suppressed a chuckle at how Naoto looked away and muttered something about being "not that little", instead inquiring, "Who went with her?"

"Me, Lab, and the brat."

"Lab…?"

A grin broke out on Souji's face as he pieced the clue together, looking down at Naoto, who smiled slightly, for confirmation. "Nice. I have to thank her for encouraging Mitsuru-san to send Sho."

Shinjiro "hmm"-ed in response, so Souji let the silence hang until he saw Naoto stealing one or two concerned glances at him. "You'll give yourself a headache."

"S-sorry. Are you sure you're okay to be walking around?"

"Hundred percent."

Souji briefly thought about flexing to prove his point, but he decided against it. That was Kanji's thing to prove his manliness...or Yosuke when he was trying to flirt. One application was generally more successful than the other, of course. "Trust me."

"I do...it's just…"

Souji sensed there was something even he could not coax out of her, and he had a dreadful feeling that she was beating herself up for nothing once again. "H-hey, I-"

"We're here."

Souji snapped his mouth shut at that, filing away her reaction for a later time. Instead, he squeezed her hand and leaned over to kiss her temple. Rather than the usual questioning look, Naoto simply smiled affectionately; the expression that he had missed for the past week when he was aware enough to worry. He returned the sentiment and followed Shinjiro into what he deemed the new war room with Naoto in tow.

He tried (and failed) his best not to grin at the stupefied looks on the team's faces when he walked in, and he could tell that Naoto was trying to suppress her own laugh. "Hey."

Rise was the first to recover, but that simply meant she teared up and seized Teddie in a joyous hug. The bear-boy accepted the embrace, tears brimming in his eyes as Souji waved awkwardly. As he strode into the room, he clapped Yosuke on the back and grinned, nodding towards Chie and Yukiko when the former beamed at him. Kanji simply laughed, an almost choked noise to get across just how relieved he was to see his friend back on his feet. Labrys (a welcome surprise) was there too, eagerly bouncing up and down while tugging insistently on Sho's sleeve. Souji noticed Mitsuru and Akihiko had pulled Shinjiro aside, with the former seeming to lecture to poor guy about letting a patient wander about. "Mitsuru-san."

She paused her lecture to turn to Souji and smile slightly, hiding her similar surprise at just how much better he seemed. "Hello, Souji-san. I see you're...looking much healthier. I must admit, I am shocked."

"So was I. I feel as if the fever cleared up, but I can't guarantee anything."

"That, and you're still clearly recovering from your physical injuries."

Souji blew out a sheepish breath and smiled again. "I guess so."

He put his hands on his hips and looked around the new room, smiling in silent satisfaction at the upgrade of the locale. After a moment, he met her eyes and spoke again. "I have to apologize."

He received a questioning look from Akihiko, a raised eyebrow from Mitsuru and Shinjiro, and a blank look of confusion from Naoto. What was there to apologize for? Souji maintained the silence for a good three seconds before smiling softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I've been out of the loop. Would you mind if we take some time to review the goings-on of the past week?"

There were more than a few scoffs and chuckles at the simple wording of Souji's ordeal, but there was also a general agreement that some review would be beneficial.

"Of course. Allow me."

Mitsuru pulled a remote out of one of her pockets and activated a projector mounted on one of the walls. Souji stood towards the front of the group, pulling Naoto in front of him and pressing a quick kiss to her crown. She quickly squeezed his hand before turning her attention back to the screen. "After your Shadow was confronted and accepted, several powerful shadows have appeared in different parts of the world. Naoto-kun informed me that you have named them as 'shades'."

_Well, Igor named them that._

"It seemed to fit."

"I agree. They also wore masks. It's...similar to a past ordeal that our old organization dealt with."

"Past ordeal…?"

"I can give you the details later. For now, allow me to provide what little insight I can."

"Sorry. Please, go ahead."

As the meeting went on, Naoto carefully leaned into Souji's chest, resting her head against him and sighing softly. Souji simply smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, saying nothing when they received a few quizzical looks. He rested his chin on her shoulder gently and watched as a picture of all his masks, plus two more, was displayed. "Two of these shades were hunted down yesterday. We will continue this plan of attack until the remainder are eliminated."

"Thank you."

Mitsuru gave him a strange look at that. "What for?"

"For...helping us like this. I get the feeling the medical care alone was...quite expensive. Accommodating us must be some inconvenience."

"Think nothing of it. Your team helped us during the P-1 incident, so I find it is only fair to offer any assistance that we can."

Souji offered a quick bow as Mitsuru made to leave with Akihiko in tow. "Thank you."

He took a breath and looked around the room again, his eyes falling on something sadly familiar lying on the table. Naoto had turned to him to say something, but he was already gone.

"Well, we should probably bring you back to your room- Souji?"

He had silently made his way over to one of the equipment tables, the one where she had offhandedly left his broken katana after retrieving it from the TV. Souji carefully picked up the relic, holding the flat of the blade on his palm and closing his eyes. The broken blade slowly began to glow a soft blue, and the few onlookers could have sworn that the metal shard was beginning to slowly contract into something resembling a katana again. "_You know…"_

_Oh, dammit._

"_We haven't really been able to talk. Feeling kinda lonely in here."_

_You stabbed me, idiot._

"_Hey, now. I stabbed you, but you accepted me. With that logic, you stabbed you."_

_...Ugh._

"_In all seriousness, we see, to be good enough to stand for more than twenty minutes. I'm rarin' to get back into the fight, but we're down one awesome katana."_

_I wonder whose fault that was._

Souji exhaled slowly and opened his eyes, the long period where he had them closed eventually causing his some discomfort. He blinked once and concentrated again. "_Honestly though...what are we fighting for?"_

_The world? Inaba?_

"_...We're such a nerd."_

_My friends. My family...Naoto. If that's gone, I don't exactly have much else here._

"_...That works. Your resolve is mine, so allow me to lend you my own strength."_

Souji's audience was shocked to see the soft glow reach his shoulders, the katana's broken blade shining a deeper blue. In an instant, an audible metal sound cut the air, and the katana was reborn, with metal reaching for a good length before ending in a razor-sharp point. There was no longer any sign of the previous damage, the reforged weapon reflecting the light proudly. Souji opened his eyes and picked up the sheath that was lying on the table, reverently sliding the katana back into its place. It released an audible click as the sheath impacted lightly with the hilt, and Souji grinned at the familiar sound. "_I hope you like Norse mythology. This is your new facade."_

His mind's eye transported him to a deep blue landscape, a twinkle of light eventually exploding outwards. A wolf waited patiently in its place, shaking its head as it laid down at Souji's feet. The fur on its legs was frayed and seemed to be aflame with an unnatural flame, and its eyes were narrowed into slits that glowed a gentle cyan. Regardless, Souji could feel no malice from the new Persona. He bent low enough to brush his fingers along his snout before straightening up. "Welcome to the family, Fenrir."

With that, he was brought back to reality, still holding the sheathed katana. He slowly placed it on the table and rolled his shoulders, taking care to stifle a yawn when he turned back to the party. The astounded looks were making him feel a tad uncomfortable, so he scratched the back of his head. He wasn't sure if Labrys noticed this, but she came forward regardless and wearing a small, relieved smile. "You look like you've had some serious introspection."

"Yeah, uh...you're not far off."

She chuckled, more to herself than to him, before sheepishly admitting, "I, um...I'd give you a hug, but I already almost crushed Naoto-kun...heh."

He was only mildly surprised by that, but smiled warmly and reached an arm out. "I think I can handle it. It's good to see you again."

The girl blinked and beamed, letting herself be pulled into a hug by the silverette. He put his hand on the back of her head and smiled kindly -her own arms winding around his waist as she buried her cheek in his shirt- before looking up at the rest, who were simply watching the two with an airy degree of happiness. He held out his other arm and beckoned them over with a quick wiggle of his fingers. "I'm willing to share."

That shattered whatever reservations his friends had, and they piled in as a mass of cheers, high fives, heavy back pats, and just plain hugs. Naoto waited for the commotion to die down before sidling up to Souji and simply wrapping her arms around his waist. Her hands knotted in his shirt, and she pressed her face to his chest as he brushed her hair in that familiar manner. At that moment, peace had finally returned to her mind.

[- - -]

Souji was just about to accept Naoto's offer to go back to the room when Labrys stopped him again, handing him a sleek black tablet.

"What's this?"

"A medical report."

Naoto paled at the sight of the device, coughing to herself and offering Souji's concerned look a brittle smile. "It should have all the details of your injuries, courtesy of Mitsuru-san. I added some personal notes, to give a little more insight to why your, um...the damage was so severe."

"This'll definitely answer some questions. Thank you, Labrys."

He brushed the back of his hand over the screen, unaware that Naoto seemed to shrink back to her workbench to take her mind off the report. She didn't need nor want any more details about his near-death experience.

[- - -]

Souji made his way to one of the rooms that the Kirijo group had prepared, shutting the door with his foot and lowering the tablet from his eyes. He was briefly taken aback by the neatness of the room, concluding that this was essentially a student dorm made even more accommodating. He toed his shoes off and fell into one of the chair, wincing and clutching a fistful of his shirt when he felt a brief sting in his chest. "Gah...bad-...bad idea."

He took a few deep breaths and squeezed his eyes shut until the pain passed. He felt a slight headache biting him at the back of his mind, but he suppressed it and looked at the tablet again. Unlocking it with a quick finger swipe, he opened the file that was labeled with his name. "Here we go…"

_Enclosed is the full report of Souji Seta's recent hospitalization. _

_Aigis or Mitsuru-san normally write these, but the former is on a mission and the latter is still showing me the ropes. Now, I'm here. _

_To summarize the overall damage, bruises were expected due to the savage nature of the battle with Souji's shadow. There was especially notable damage to the knuckles, no doubt due to the strain and wild force behind his fighting style._

Souji paused to look at his knuckles, flexing his fingers slowly as he saw the faded marks that no doubt told just how hard they had been pushed. "What doesn't kill you…"

He lifted the tablet back into his sight and continued reading.

_Damage to the forearms was fairly minimal, but there was some notable markings on the base of his arms, presumably from defending himself. _

_A particularly deep laceration was found on his sword-arm's shoulder. _

_To this point, the majority of the damage was completely healed by Yukiko-san's magic. _

_[Make sure to thank her later, Souji-kun.]_

_Herein lies the problem; her magic is excellent for either completely healing or speeding up the recovery of more serious injuries, but the stab wound Souji-kun sustained goes far beyond a simple physical attack._

_As a side note, Sho-kun came forward with some of Shuji Ikutsuki's research information. Some intel was also gleaned from the personal notes/observations of Minako Arisato._

"Ah!"

Souji clutched his hand to his face, covering an eye with his palm as he stared at the name. A flash in his eyes showed him a girl, around his age (maybe older), but she seemed to be made of stone as she steadfastly held back...something. His mind slowly rid itself of the buzzing sensation, and he blinked hard before refocusing on the tablet. "W-...weird."

_...Side-side note. Sho-kun was trying not to laugh when I was writing this. Jerk._

Souji chuckled and swiped to the next page of notes, slowly going over the information presented.

_Physical and magical damage operate on different planes. Very similar planes, but differing nonetheless. Physical damage, of course, damages the body. This is why healing magic is particularly effective for treating these kinds of wounds quickly. Magical damage, however, attacks the mind. It is the only way operatives have survived battles despite being lit on fire, frozen, blown away, electrocuted, or subjected to light/dark attack. This damage still affects bodily function, and too much of it will knock the receiver unconscious, if not outright kill them should the damage be too great._

_These observations were reinforced by Arisato-san's notes. Mitsuru-san has noted her as very perceptive despite her laid-back personality._

_[...I think you two would get along great.]_

"Maybe."

_Souji-kun's wound is the first of its kind. The impalement of the katana already inflicted massive damage to the torso, but there is a wrinkle. The Shadow's weapon was coated in a layer of dark magic. It was designed personally by it to be a weapon that one does not come back from. The gist of it is that magical __**and **__physical damage were compounded into one devastating attack, one that almost achieved the desired effect. _

_Dark magic (referred to as Mudo, along with its appropriate advancements ) is a very powerful kind. It can instantly kill its targets, as I'm sure you know, but it was as if the stab was some sadistic kind of insurance. If one didn't kill, the other would._

_I believe that Souji-kun's survival is a miracle, and I mean that honestly. Receiving a Mudo spell directly to the body, rather than through the conventional spell, is an extremely dangerous combination. Souji-kun's Shadow is still his mind in a way...this kind of ingenuity was unexpected, but not an impossibility._

_That concludes my report._

_[Man, these are hard…I hope this was helpful, Souji-kun.]_

Souji put down the tablet and pinched the bridge of his nose, murmuring, "There's a fine line between formal and informal…"

_It __**was **__helpful, though. I'll have to thank her later._

An almost timid knocking on the door alerted him, but he remained in his seat and eyed the sleeping tablet. "It's unlocked."

Naoto peeked around the doorknob before slipping in and shutting the door behind her. She took care to turn the lock, something Souji noted but remained silent about. "You okay?"

She met his eyes and smiled quickly, but the sentiment clearly failed to reach her eyes. It was just then that Souji truly noticed the exhaustion written on her face. "I'm fine."

"...Stupid question, never mind. Did you need something?"

Naoto shifted nervously and muttered something that sounded like "wanted to check on you". He watched her flounder for her next remark for only a moment more until his caring side took dominance. "Come here."

She complied reluctantly, sliding into his lap when he put a hand on the small of her back. He held her in place like that, using his other hand to reach up and cup her cheek. His thumb brushed the skin under her eye, and concern was written clearly into his face as he remarked, "You haven't slept well...for a while, it looks like."

Naoto sighed as her shoulders sagged tiredly, reaching up to hold the hand that was still on her cheek. "The past week has been...stressful. To say the absolute least."

"Sorry."

She smiled and managed a giggle at that, touching his face and letting her fingers drift down to rest on his chest. "Silly. What are you apologizing for?"

His clasped his hand over her own and applied some pressure, his face turning chagrined. "This," was his simple answer.

Naoto didn't respond as she kept her palm to his chest. Her eyes darted up to his, making a silent request when he met her gaze. Slowly, he searched her face for confirmation before reaching down to carefully pull his shirt off. As it dropped from his hand, she felt her breath hitch, scarcely choking out a weak gasp as she saw the neat swath of bandages wound from his shoulder to his hip. "Y-you, er...you h-have to change the bandages."

Souji remained silent, taking her hand in his reassuringly before she slipped out of his lap. He reclined slightly in the chair until she returned with a small bundle of bandages, medical tape, and a small pair of scissors. Souji gestured towards the items and found his voice. "Know how to use those?"

"I can figure it out. Move forward a bit? Hold still…"

She carefully cut the old bandages, muttering an apology as Souji's breath hitched from the cold metal. As she watched them fall away, she couldn't help but gasp in shock.

A rough scar now ran across his torso, joining the countless other small ones from the past's investigations. Almost shamefully, Naoto reached out to gently trace around the mark, biting her lip as Souji tried to hide his wince. She felt new tears springing forth as her hand finished its motion. More gently, she traced the scar again, this time in reverse, with Souji casting aside his own discomfort to leave Naoto be. She hovered her palm over the area where he had been almost fatally stabbed. Suddenly, she failed to hold back an audible sob, and she clapped a hand over her mouth as she choked out an apology. "I-I'm…I'm so sorry, I just-…"

She had come to a very distressing realization; the stab wound was _dangerously _close to his heart. Leaning forward, Naoto's hand balled into a fist as she began to shake, and the tears she had been trying to hold back streamed down her cheeks, which she tried to hide by bowing her head. "You fool…"

Naoto continued to lean forward until her head was resting on his chest, and her tears began to wet his bare skin. She started to sob, cares cast aside as she couldn't help but fall apart after seeing what he had barely survived. "Do you know…what would've happened if you were killed?"

Naoto looked up at his face, and she choked up as she tried to force her tears back and take a more rational tone. "You wouldn't be able to do this anymore. Your hand…" She took his hand and pressed her cheek against it, taking solace in the gesture. "…I wouldn't be able to feel you doing something as simple as this...not anymore."

Souji wanted to apologize, to say something that would comfort her, but he was at a loss for words as he felt Naoto's skin nuzzling against his. "I can't lose you, Souji-kun…not after everything…"

Naoto was cut off by Souji's arms going around her, and her own hands were pinned close to her chest as she felt familiar warmth envelop her. "I'm sorry."

She bit her lip as she felt more tears surface, and Souji gazed straight ahead, choosing simply to hold her and listen to her quiet sobs. "Y-you…."

Smiling slightly, his sight flicked to the shoulder of the girl he was holding. "…I know."

"…"

"I'm gonna let you go now. I have to put my shirt back on."

Slowly, Souji released Naoto, taking her face in his hands and brushing her tear trails with his thumbs. He kept his tone gentle as she stared at him in slight worry that he might still be in pain. "Please, don't cry. It'll mar that complexion of yours."

"It's your fault…"

He smiled again as he unconsciously let his thumbs stroke her cheeks. "I know."

* * *

**It's nice to settle into a groove when one is writing and when you check the word count -bam- you added 1000 words in an hour. Sorry I've been gone for so long. The next chapter'll pick up a little bit after where this one left off. Hopefully I don't take forever, but I want to try and write some shorter stories...maybe add to my Metal Gear list.**

**Till next time! Thanks as always for reading and putting up with my atrocious schedule.**


	21. The Stray Dog's Woe

**Sorry this took so long...I have a confession to make.**

**I...have been watching a **_**lot **_**of Jojo.**

**...Without further ado!**

* * *

"Well? C'mon."

Jisi stopped short in the room they were standing in, fixing Dao with a reluctant stare. The latter simply watched her for a moment before giving her a very exaggerated shrug. "This way?"

"I don't like this guy."

"Oh, I thought you stuck around for his warm personality and comforting hugs."

"Oh, shut up. I'm coming, aren't I?"

Dao stopped and put his hand on his sister's shoulder, squeezing slightly when she looked at him with confusion. "You can stay behind."

"No, I...can go."

He simply scoffed and shook his head, pulling her back as a portal opened in front of them. "I don't think so. Stay here."

Jisi started to speak again but was stopped by Dao disappearing into the portal. "...Oh."

She groaned and sat down against the wall, frowning slightly at the decor of the room. It left...a lot to be desired. The noose and the torn posters weren't exactly accommodating. She gathered air in her palm and sent an invisible blade towards the old rope. Strangely enough, it was deflected, and she raised her finger just enough to catch the invisible weapon and let it dissipate. Interesting. "Mm...seems that strong memories are tied to this place."

Crossing her legs, she placed her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. "Rise, Boaz and Jachin."

She undid the ribbon in her hair and tied it around her eyes as two magical pillars rose next to her. They glowed softly as she gathered information, her eyes shut behind the binding as she learned what she could about the room. "...I see."

"What are you doing?"

She looked up and smiled absently at Dao as the pillars disappeared. "Those kids have a pretty rough past tied to this place."

She blinked against the light as Dao pulled the ribbon away from her eyes, pulling her up by her hand and walking around her to redo her hair. "All done?"

"That I am. Let's go."

He took her hand and ushered her out of the room, only letting go after about three hesitant looks over his shoulder and when they had arrived at the…"entrance studio", as the kids called it. "Remind me why we deal with that guy?"

Dao hesitated. Normally, he gave a sarcastic answer along the lines of being a stereotypical evil mastermind crossed with a disposable henchman. However, he knew now that things were close to the end. Now would be the best time for the truth, he supposed. "...He gave you back to me."

"What?"

Jisi's eyes widened to accentuate her surprise, and Dao shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "...Yeah. Your soul, uh...needed repair after what happened, and...I didn't know where else to go. So, he found me."

"...Is that why…?"

She paused and reluctantly gestured towards Dao's face. A wisp of black flame hidden behind a mask. "...Yes. I gave part of my soul and, by extension, my physical form, to you."

He chuckled to himself and shrugged. "Guess you can call it a shitty blood transplant."

"How the hell'd you even pull that off?"

"I made a deal with the devil."

This was too much to process for Jisi, even given her knack for learning quickly, but she nervously brushed her hair and asked one more thing. "Then...c-can you explain something to me?"

"Shoot."

"Why were you trying so hard to see the kids develop?"

"You mean the one kid I could?"

"Yeah."

Dao looked as solemn as Jisi had ever saw him when he took off his mask and narrowed his eyes. He sighed, a light breath of mist flowing out of where his mouth would be, and looked up at the consistently red sky, a testament to how the world was slowly falling apart.

"...Because we're gonna kill the devil."

[- - -]

Naoto was reading the last of the report Labrys wrote, Souji having gone to the bathroom to take a shower and examine the extent of his wounds. He planted his hands on the countertop and stared hard at the sealed slit in his chest, the near-fatal stab almost healed entirely. He still felt a dull ache, but he figured it was better than having his limbs cut off literally rather than through the Shadow's phantom attacks. "Guess I should count myself lucky."

He looked up into the mirror again and noticed Naoto watching his back from the doorway. He slicked back his still-damp hair over his forehead and looked back, asking, "Finished the report?"

"Mhm."

She walked in and wrapped an arm around his waist, meekly resting her head against his chest. "This is the first I've heard of magic being utilized in a physical attack."

"Fancy, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately. I...can't imagine the pain you must have endured."

"It wasn't so bad."

The look she gave him said the joke wasn't funny. "...Sorry."

"Don't apologize...I understand you were trying to get me to relax again."

"Did it work?"

"Not really."

"Aw."

She stepped back from him and ducked to open one of the cabinets under the sink, muttering something to herself as Souji looked on with confusion. After a moment, she emerged with a roll of bandages in one hand and a bundle of medical tape in the other. "Gonna pull a scalpel out of there next?"

Naoto simply shrugged at Souji's remark, pointing to the slightly worn bandages around Souji's wound. "Maybe. Those need replacing."

"...Yeah. I'm gonna take a shower first. Being bedridden isn't exactly peachy."

"I understand. Allow me to give you some privacy."

Souji felt his face warm when she stood a bit on her tiptoes to quickly kiss his cheek, smiling awkwardly as she let herself out.

By the time Naoto heard water running, she had already gone back to reviewing Labrys' report. What intrigued and truly terrified her was the notion that magic designed to kill could be imbued into a physical strike. It only drove home the point that Souji was a hair's breadth from death and they may have never been able to determine exactly why. She swallowed nervously, shutting off the tablet and carefully placing it back on the cupboard where Souji last left it. "That's worrying."

"What is?"

She looked up, shocked, as Souji came out of the bathroom clad in a loose pair of shorts and a towel draped over his head. "The, um...the report was. I was simply going over it a second time."

"Mm. I've dried off enough. Would you mind helping me with the bandages?"

Naoto smiled distractedly and picked up what she needed, silently instructing him to sit on the bed. She took the towel from him and tossed it onto a desk chair, mentally measuring how much of the bandage roll she was going to use and drawing it out. "Raise your arm?"

He complied, allowing her to wind the binding across his chest so that it neatly covered the slit from the wound. She repeated this a few more times until she was satisfied, biting a strip of the tape and placing two bits of it on either end of the fresh wrappings. "That...should do it."

She sat back on her legs and nodded, satisfied at her work. Souji smiled and reached out to touch her bangs. "Thanks, doc."

"Will that be all?"

She smiled gently at him, accepting when he took her hand in his and squeezed a bit. "Hm...I think there's one more thing."

His hand slid to the back of her head, pulling her just close enough for his breath to tickle her skin. His eyes had narrowed a bit, the slight gesture forcing Naoto's heart to skip a beat. He kissed her quickly, as if to quash his own hesitation, and she couldn't help but melt into his chest. She still took care to keep pressure off, despite his insisting that he was fine. Before she could grab him, he pulled away, breath light and eyes glowing with affection. "Can you...stay with me tonight?"

[- - -]

"Where are you going?"

Dao paused, looking back to Jisi as she watched him from her perch. They were resting atop their usual skyscraper, the one resting just in the middle of the ruined Okina. It was also one of the few tall buildings that had yet to fall completely, though the structure was beginning to show some wear and tear. "...Out. Gonna train."

"Train? You're already a cut above the rest."

"Yeah."

Before she could ask another question, Dao threw his cloak into the air to form a portal and stepped inside. He emerged in the Grand Mall of Okina; it was a building closely associated with the business center of the city itself, just behind the theater such that it was located in the center of the city. Signs for stores were scratched out, the merchandise turned to ash as destruction seemed to be woven into the architecture. "Perfect."

Dao took off his mask and threw it on the ground a few feet away, taking a deep breath as mist flowed out from its eye sockets. It slowly grew and began to form a figure, clad in a dark blue suit, a white shirt and a complementing tie. It was the spitting image of Dao if his head wasn't a wisp of flame. As the mist man straightened up, it raised a hand to brush its short white hair back, opening shining yellow eyes and blinking at the dim lighting of the Mall. Hostility crept into its expression as it focused on its mirror.

Dao closed his eyes and cracked his knuckles as he stood across from his Shade, doing his best not to look at the face it was wearing. He slowly looked at it, bringing his arms to his sides before lowering himself just a bit into his hand-to-hand stance. The Shade warped to him in a flash of fog and kneed him in the side, using its momentum to rise slightly and bring its heel down on his back. Dao reached over his head to grab the leg, jumping backwards and trapping it under his weight. As it tried to kick him off, he slid up and elbowed the back of its head, grabbing a fistful of its white hair to pull it up and smash its face into the earth. He rose, rolling his neck and sinking back into a stance.

The Shade slowly rose, warping to him and tackling with its shoulder. They sailed across the ground a few feet, allowing it time to grab Dao's head and grind it into the pavement. He lay unmoving as they stopped, leading the Shade to hover over him in confusion. Suddenly, it was sent flying by a balled fist crashing into its chin. Dao rose quickly and ran faster than it flew, jumping and landing on it knee-first. The Shade fought through the recoil, grabbing his throat and standing. It hefted him up and threw him over the railing of the floor, leaving Dao falling from the floor they were on to the ground floor. The Shade pursued him, an sharp icicle around its arm and intent on piercing its mirror.

Dao fell for a moment and jerked his body in one direction, letting his leg whip into his Shade's face. He turned his waist and swung his arm downwards in a powerful clawing motion. As the Shade fell, Dao yanked his tie off and wound it around its neck, diving downwards to slam its head straight into the ground. A sickening crunch echoed through the air as its head met the hard earth, and Dao swiftly threw his tie back around his collar and redid it. Before the Shade could rise, Dao felt an unnatural anger boil in his heart as he saw the shadow of what was one his face look up at him. The white hair was gently ruffled by the wind as the Shade's yellow eyes stared blankly at him until his anger reached its peak. Smashing his foot into its face, he stomped on it hard when it tried to rise again. Every attempt for it to recover was met with a vicious stomp, until any attempt for it to move only earned its head another smashing blow from Dao's foot. Dao's eyes flashed, and he roared in anguish as he stomped on the remains of the Shade again and again until naught but a fine pile of black dust remained, flowing slowly away from him. "Dao! Dao, stop!"

Someone's arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind as he tried to kick the last of the fog, falling back as Jisi steadfastly hung onto him. Dao blindly fought against his sister, eyes squeezed shut as the reminder of his own identity threatened to crush him.

"What are you doing? What were you thinking?!"

Dao growled and wrenched away from Jisi, glaring back at her only to see the shocked look in her eyes. Regret immediately filled his mind, and his look softened as he scooted closer to her. "I-...sorry. I wasn't thinking straight."

The look in her eyes accused him of some sort of grand betrayal, so Dao inquired, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"That Shade...that was no training dummy."

She glared at him with tears in her eyes and punched his chest, though the impact bore no true malice. "You don't even remember what you look like. You were trying to reaffirm your identity!"

Her perception both surprised and mildly annoyed him. "...And?"

"You're losing yourself. That's why you couldn't meditate properly earlier, isn't it?"

"Jisi, I'm fine. I'm still strong enough to see this through."

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed insistently, only stopping when she managed to look him in the eye. "I can still protect you. That's all I need for myself."

The heartbroken look in her eye only faded a fraction, so he pulled her to him and hugged her tight, one hand around her and the other on the back of her head. "Stop-...stop crying. I'm the sensitive one, aren't I?"

Jisi didn't say anything more, simply taking handfuls of the back of his coat and sobbing into his shoulder. Dao shut his eyes, simply holding his sister as the last of his Shade's dust blew away.

[- - -]

Souji found a loose shirt and threw it on just before Naoto came out of the bathroom, towel pressed to her damp hair and her pajamas slightly stuck to her skin. It would seem she was in a bit of a rush to get out of the shower. "Feel better?"

"Mhm."

"Do we have anything we have to do tomorrow?"

"_I _will be assisting in the hunt for the remaining Shades. You will stay here, and rest."

"...You gonna enforce that?"

Naoto smiled cutely and dropped the towel on the cupboard, purposefully leaving his question unanswered. "Ready for bed?"

"Yeah. Come here."

Souji pulled the blankets off the mattress and beckoned her over. She raised an eyebrow, but complied nonetheless, climbing onto the bed and stretching languidly. Souji watched her for a moment, his sight drifting along her body for the shortest moment before he caught himself and shook his head. He pulled the blanket over the both of them and sighed. "I missed regular beds."

"I imagine you did."

Souji simply wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his nose into her shoulder. As Naoto settled into the blankets, he silently appreciated the interesting mix of the shampoo she had apparently brought with her and her own, natural scent. It was one of the many things he had missed over the course of the past few weeks. "Something smells familiar."

"I'm appalled as to why."

"...What is it?"

Naoto glanced at him over her shoulder and seemed to blush softly as she admitted, "Well, I don't have my own toiletries here...I had to borrow yours."

"Ah." He smiled and nuzzled against her cheek. "Smells better on you."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Mm. Too tired for logic."

She let the silence hang for another minute before an inexplicable desire overcame her. "Souji, can I turn?"

He loosened his grip just enough for her to shuffle onto her other side, pulling close with an arm around his waist. She looked at his face and smiled slightly before carefully snuggling into his chest. She shut her eyes and murmured in a breathy whisper, "You're warm."

"Haven't heard that one before."

She met his mischievous gaze for a moment and scoffed, resting her cheek on his shirt and refusing to comment. He took the hint, slipping his arm under her head to let her use it as a pillow. The quick gesture seemed to put her at ease, as she sighed contentedly and squeezed him. The warmth of the blankets and Souji's embrace were lulling her into a pleasant little world. However…

She looked up at him and failed to hide a loving smile at his closed eyes and utterly relaxed expression. After a moment, she slid up to carefully press her lips to his. His eyes opened, slowly at first, but the warm smile that found his face let her know she wasn't in the wrong. Instead, he took her chin in his hand and reciprocated with his own kiss. What had started off as a gentle good-night kiss slowly spiralled out of control, growing more impassioned as Souji moved just enough to pin her under him. Naoto let out an involuntary whimper as she grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him close. He felt her tongue ask for attention that he gladly gave with a light tilt of his head. When they finally parted, she put her hands on his shoulders as they simply watched each other breathe. After a minute, he ducked down to kiss her jaw, trailing his lips down her neck as her mind slowly realized what was happening. "W-wait. Souji."

"Hm…?"

"We should stop."

He kept his lips to her shoulder for another moment but relented in the end, moving back up to gaze confusedly down at her. "...?"

"I…" She bit her lip, forcing the heat in her cheeks down as she forced the words out. "I shouldn't have done this...you're still recovering, and, really, I shouldn't be here."

"Oh. Aah, I see what you mean."

Souji's tone was even, but there was a tinge of disappointment in his eyes. Naoto felt crushed and frustrated herself, but she wore a small smile and pulled him down for a more gentle kiss. "I'm sorry. I...we can find time for this after this is all over."

"Mm. I do owe you a date."

Souji's natural smile returned, and he blew out an audible sigh as he flopped back onto his side of the bed, He outstretched his arm for Naoto to rest her head on before closing his eyes again. She settled in again and followed suit, doing her best to sleep by listening to Souji's heartbeat.

[- The next morning -]

"Well, we'll be heading out then."

Naoto nodded to Yosuke and holstered her revolver, flexing her shoulders to make sure her harness was secure. He looked over the squad for the day, grinning at Chie and offering his fist to Kanji. "Classic team today, huh?"

"I guess so. Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san deserve a break."

"Am I still not coming along?"

The team turned to see Souji walk into the room with Sho and Labrys in tow. "Ran into these two this fine morning. Want to bring 'em with you?"

Labrys was bouncing on her heels as she awaited Naoto's decision, while Sho was countering her temperament by cooly adjusting his swords and tightening his belt. "I don't see why not."

Naoto smiled at Yosuke's interjection and nodded, gesturing to Labrys and dryly remarking, "It would be a waste to send them back after they brought their weapons. I suppose we'll have to work with larger team."

"Ya~y!"

"...Yay."

Sho was nonplussed by Labrys' excitement, shrugging and shaking his head as he walked to the TV. "Let's go already."

The rest of the squad followed his blunt remark, but Naoto remained behind for a moment with her hand on the rim of the TV. She looked over at Souji and gave a lazy salute. "We'll be off, then."

"I'll have Rise come down soon. Maybe Fuuka-san is free, too."

"Thank you."

"...Good luck, Naoto."

As much as he wanted to say 'stay safe', injury was all but a guarantee at this point in their endeavour. He waved as she ducked into the screen, leaving only a slight ripple on the surface.

Souji gazed at the TV for a moment, then turned to leave. He caught sight of someone jarringly familiar standing at the doorway, stopping short and eyes widening in shock. "...You."

[- - -]

Naoto landed in the studio, standing and brushing dust off her trousers. "Should we get moving-"

She stopped, pulling out her revolver in a flash when she saw that her friends had ducked into their respective stances. The reason why was only a few feet away.

Dao stood up from where he was squatting, dusting off his shirt and fixing his cloak. They noted that he had removed his suit jacket, leaving him in a lighter looking waistcoat alongside his regular formal attire. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes from behind the mask, but his tone was friendly as he spread his arms welcomingly and chirped, "Hey. I, uh...heh. I was content to let you be, let you destroy some of the Shades, but...I'm a little pissed off. I hope you don't mind if I play with you kids for a while."

* * *

**This was initially gonna be longer, but I decided to keep the revelations and the bigger fights in a separate chapter. I did want to put more focus on Dao and how he gets along with his sister, because I really want to flesh him out as a slightly more memorable character than not at all. I hope I'm making progress, so bear with me for now. The next chapter should be ready sooner because I've already put part of this chapter into there.**

**Thanks, as always and now more than ever, for reading. Till next time!**


	22. The Stray Dog's Ire

**W-What?! Another chapter in (technically) less than a month? No way!**

**Seriously though, how 'bout that. I'll forego writing here in favor of taking that all to the ending note.**

**With that said, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"C'mon. Come at me. Strike as if you mean to kill and all that. Look!"

Dao held his glaive aloft in one hand, only to casually lob it over his shoulder, where it embedded itself in the metal of the studio a few meters away. "I'll stick to the basics."

He called Ouroboros, letting it coil around his arm before he tickled its head and tossed it into the air. It suspended itself a few meters above the studio, seemingly extending in length as it coiled around the metal beams and bit into its own tail. Its eyes flashed a dangerous crimson as Dao spread his arms wide and explained. "I'm imposing a time limit on our little game."

He pointed upwards. "I call this magic trick 'Ragnarök'. If you don't beat me before Ouroboros is done, well...game over. For you, that is."

Dao straightened up, hiking his sleeves past his elbows and taking a more refined stance, unlike anything the team had seen before. His demeanor seemed to follow suit, as his breathing evened out and he kept his feet firmly grounded. "Now, come at me."

[- - -]

"Hello."

Souji was taken aback; Igor and Theodore stood before him once again, despite what he had seen and what Marie had told him. The girl in question walked in behind them, eyes downcast as she sheepishly waved to Souji. "Uh...hi."

"Hey, Marie."

Souji sighed and scratched his head; this was a bit much. "I suppose I should explain."

He managed a slight, awkward laugh at the understatement behind Igor's words. "Yeah. Only question is where to start."

"Would you...mind if we had some sort of nourishment before we begin?"

It was then that Souji noticed that Igor looked...tired. Theo didn't look much better; as if they had pulled themselves out of some sort of hellhole. _Do you even need to eat or drink?_

"Sure. Um...let me see if Fuuka-san is around."

Souji swiftly pulled out his phone and called Rise. "_Hello? Senpai?"_

"Hey, Rise. Sorry to bother you, but would you mind coming to the war room? We have some," He paused to look at the three, noting that Marie was the only truly normal-looking member of the bunch. "Guests."

"_...Okay? Sure, I can take them to the game room or something."_

"Thanks, I owe you a few. Do you know where I can find Fuuka-san?"

"_Hmm...if you're in the war room, the~n...she's one floor up from you. Look for the glow of computer screens."_

"Alrighty. Thanks again."

"_Yep! See ya, Senpai."_

The call ended, and Souji pocketed his phone before looking up at Marie and grinning cheekily. "Your best friend is coming to take you three to a lounge. I'm going to get some help with tea and snacks, then we can talk."

"Best friend? Wait, you don't mean-!"

[- - -]

"Ohh, Dao, you got yourself into some shit…"

Dao absently mused and held his side as he tried to stand, wincing as he found his footing and rolled his shoulders. Pain lanced briefly through his thigh, and he looked down to behold a thin throwing knife embedded deep in his leg. As soon as he pulled it out, fog cascaded over the wound and healed it almost instantly. He threw it downwards hard enough to bury the blade in the earth, kicking the handle and snapping it off easily. He pointed to Sho and made a shooing motion with his wrist. "Can you not? Those are sharp."

He raised his hand and caught Chie's foot in his palm, skirting around her and raising his elbow to strike. Sho leapt into the air and dove down foot first, his leg almost completely coated in black fire. He missed his initial strike, but a blast of flame burst forth from the ground to keep Dao back. He leapt forward and grabbed his mask, fire boiling in his palm before exploding spectacularly and sending Dao flying back. He drew another one of his knives and bodily threw it, nodding at Chie as she ran to catch up with him. "Go!"

"Got it!"

Chie leapt and caught Dao in a double-legged drop kick as his back collided with a wall, using the momentum to latch onto his head. He reached up and seized her jacket, pulling her off him and throwing her to Sho. He caught her swiftly and set her on her feet, whistling to Labrys as the girl flew at Dao. She threw her axe off her back and extended the handle, butting Dao in the shoulder and swinging the blade towards his stomach in what was strong enough to be a fatal blow.

Dao caught the heavy blade in his hand, a grin audible in his tone as he put pressure on the metal. A hairline crack started to form on the edge, causing Labrys to gasp in surprise. "I might not be able to crush your little toy, but a slight flaw is enough to ruin any weapon-"

He was cut off by her fist separating from her arm and crashing into his face. He was dizzied by the blow, falling to his knees as he was surrounded by the three. "I can still take you on."

Naoto, Kanji, and Yosuke arrived not a moment later, and the six of them menaced their stunned adversary. He looked up and sat back on his heels, sighing in annoyance rather than fear. "Y'know. This...is what I'm talkin' about."

He threw his arms forward, a blast of air throwing them all back a few feet. The dust kicked up from the strong winds obstructed him from view for a precious few seconds, but, when it cleared, they saw that he was no longer alone. Someone was standing back to back with him, and their presence was apparently relaxing enough for Dao to slip his hands into his pockets and relax his posture. "Thanks for coming, slowpoke."

"Oh, shut it. You're the one who keeps picking fights with these guys."

She looked genuinely apologetic as she shrugged and said to the squad, "Sorry."

[- - -]

"It's alright. I can't exactly hold a grudge against you for disappearing under the circumstances."

Souji set down the last platter of biscuits before the unorthodox guests, motioning for them to help themselves as he took Fuuka outside. Theo needed no second indication; he happily bit into a scone and sighed rapturously as Igor looked on and sipped some tea. Souji smiled softly before turning his attention to Fuuka. The older girl was ready to follow any more requests, drawing another happy smile out of Souji. "Thank you, Fuuka-san. I'm not sure I could've prepared the tea quite as well as you do."

The compliment was accepted with a smile and slight blush, par for the course with the senior navigator. "I'm happy to help. It's the least I could do for our guests, and I don't want you straining yourself unnecessarily."

"I should let you go now. I'm sure you have better things to be doing than watching me talk with some old guy."

She bit back a giggle at the joke, shaking her head in silent admonishment. "That's not nice. I think Rise-san went down to the war room to monitor your friends. If you'd like, I can help her out?"

Souji folded his arms and thought about his options. "Well...if you don't mind. But please, there's no need to go out of your way to help. I have a lot of faith in Rise's ability."

"And for good reason. Okay, then. For now, I'll check on Mitsuru-san. She's been cooped up in her office for a while now."

"Thank you."

Fuuka simply smiled, bowed politely, and took her leave.

_Pi-pi-pi._

Souji fished his phone out and flipped the screen open, unable to stop the sputter of laughter upon seeing the text message that awaited him.

_From : Rise_

_Senpai, why was Marie-san calling me her best friend?_

_Also, for services rendered, I'm sending u the bill in the mail :)_

_To: Rise_

_I'll include the tip in the payment._

He pocketed the phone and walked back into the room. Theo and Igor had finished their tea, and, judging by the crumbs, the scones had gone, too. Marie was sitting on the couch opposite of them, eying Souji for a second before looking down into her cup. He made his way over and sat down next to her. After a moment of thought, Souji spoke. "I think I should start with saying that I'm glad you two are okay. Is, uh...did Margaret make it out too?"

Marie answered him. "She's fine. Theo told me she left just before I found them. Apparently, she's gone to find Elizabeth."

"I see."

"I assume you would like to know more about the circumstances regarding our disappearance."

"It would be nice, yes. But I can wait if necessary."

Igor simply shook his head and put his cup down. "I assume you have come to the conclusion that Dao is the reason for our disappearance. He attacked us in a manner that we did not expect him to."

"You expected him to attack you in the first place?"

The elder held back a chuckle and nodded. He developed a wistful look in his eye, something Souji had never seen in him before, and spoke again. "Indeed we did. He always was...quite brash."

"Forgive me if I'm reading some history here. Who exactly is Dao?"

Igor eyed the empty teapot, and Souji thought he saw him shift nervously in his seat. A quick glance to his right told him that Marie was as mystified as he was. "Yes, well. Dao is my son."

Souji's mouth felt dry, his furthest suspicions confirmed by the weary look in Igor's eye.

"Of course, various circumstances dictate that he is not related to me by blood."

"You seem to be fond of him, despite all that's happened."

Souji noted the small, sad smile on Igor's face but didn't comment out of respect for his friend. He recognized the smile as one similar to Dojima when he talked about Chisato; it was the look of someone who lost something important. Marie was much less reserved, however. "Your _son_?! Where was that little tidbit when all this went down? If you have some personal stake in it, then you better spill, 'cause Souji already almost died fighting for...for whatever this is!"

Souji reached over to put a hand on Marie's shoulder, gently urging her to sit with a slight press and a pleading look. She fumed but complied, shooting him a look he smiled helplessly at; she would bear with it, for now. "Sorry. Please, go on."

Theo spoke instead. "He was quite...aggressive, but Elizabeth once said that he hid his heart behind his anger. I believe this manifested most whenever he looked after his sister."

"His sister. Jisi?"

Theo smiled and nodded, some unforeseen warmth creeping into his eyes at the memory of the extended "family". "He was almost a completely different person when those two were alone. It was easy to call them two halves of a whole. Inseparable."

Souji nodded, quietly digesting the information before he spoke again to break the silence that had fallen. "I see. But if your lives were so...ideal, so to speak, then what happened?"

Igor took over when Theo's face visibly fell. "Your companions...they are fighting him now."

The weak attempt to change the topic was not lost on Souji, but he went along with it out of courtesy. "Are they? I assumed they were going hunting for Shades."

"He intercepted them. I apologize, but I cannot ascertain why."

"That's alright."

Igor closed his eyes tightly and measured his tone as he continued. "Dao always was a unique fighter. What he lacked in skill, he made up for in sheer brutality. What he lacked in either, he made up for in determination. You see, he...you remind me of him, very much so."

Souji remained silent, putting the pieces together in his mind until Igor opened his eyes. "Can your friends defeat him?"

"They can manage. I know they can handle this."

[- - -]

Sho grunted in pain as a kanabo crashed into his side, rolling backwards and chucking a knife blindly as he stumbled to his feet. He raised his arm just in time to block Jisi's next blow, winding his free hand around her swinging arm and locking her in place. "Labrys!"

"Ariadne!"

The alabaster Persona appeared over Sho's shoulder and thrust her arm forward, throwing lengths of glowing red string around Jisi. They wound around her at lightspeed until she was completely restrained by the magical binds. "_You got her!"_

Jisi's kanabo disappeared, reforming as the two pillars she otherwise used as weapons to tear through the strings. She ducked into a roll and send the pillars forward, forcing Sho and Labrys to dodge backwards. "_...Never mind, she didn't get got!"_

"Thanks bunches, Rise-chan!"

Labrys jumped in front of Sho and used the flat of her axe to block a blow from the pillars, winding back and cleaving them in two with one powerful swing. The motion left her vulnerable, something Jisi tried to capitalize on by forming her kanabo again and swinging for her head. At the last possible moment, Sho skirted around her and raised his sword in a reverse grip, sparks flying from the studded points of the stick colliding against his blade. He quickly kicked behind him and struck true, sending Jisi back and buying them a few precious seconds. The duo quickly locked eyes and nodded firmly, speaking at the same time. "Thanks."

Naoto ducked under a kick from Dao, elbowing his side and switching sides with him. She raised her revolver and fired, but Dao simply flinched from the impact and was otherwise visibly unaffected. "I think I'm getting used to those."

She fired again, this time into his thigh, to drop him to his knees. "Go."

Yamato-Sumeragi appeared over her shoulder, and thrust its palms forward; a flash of light, and Dao was flying back, pure white flames licking away at his clothes. He rose slowly, gingerly patting out the flames and flashing a thumbs-up. The cheer was evident in his tone when he called out. "I see you're not pulling your punches! Sorry, light doesn't burn me so easily."

Naoto swiftly reloaded her revolver and pointed it at him again, only to be interrupted by Kanji running in. "Hang back! I'll take 'em."

"Wait, Kanji-kun-!"

"_That's-that's a bad idea…!"_

Dao took a knee and couldn't help but chuckle at the raging beefcake, tensing the muscles in his forearm in preparation. He winced in pain as the Plate impacted against his arm, but he simply clenched his fist and lowered it before throwing it forward to send Kanji off balance. Fog fused into his damaged hand as he stepped back and brought his fists up to his face. "Let's turn up the heat, huh?"

Dao wound back and swung his fist, coating in in fire just before impact. He quickly followed it up with a swift jab with his other hand, hot wind and ash bursting from where it smashed against Kanji's upraised arm. His attempt to retaliate was avoided easily as Dao slid back and kicked upward, turning his torso neatly from the momentum. Bringing both his legs back to his chest, he kicked outwards, using Kanji's chest as a jumpboard to launch himself backwards.

Dao allowed himself a small smirk despite the situation; he had Kanji pegged down as the strong, slow juggernaut. Easy to anger, too, judging by the redness of his face. This was gonna be fun.

He ducked in again, leaning away from a wild swing of the weird saucer Kanji was holding and sweeping his leg low across the ground. Kanji deserved some credit for not being tripped by the blow, but Dao still capitalized by throwing an arm around his neck in a headlock. "Could snap your neck, y'know? Ya gotta be more careful."

A dagger planted itself into his forearm, so he was forced to let go of his prey with a hiss of pain. Suddenly, he found himself dizzied by what felt like a very, very heavy punch. Kanji was back at it, clotheslining Dao hard enough to flip him over and leave him in the dirt. As Kanji raised his foot to stomp him, Dao made his move.

He quickly disintegrated and dashed a few feet away, reforming and cracking his knuckles idly. Fire began to smolder at his feet as he hopped in place to warm up (...literally). "Okay...you're gonna burn for that."

He dove low to the ground and leapt forward, flames trailing behind him as he honed in on Kanji. He tackled him shoulder-first, driving his knee into his side and forming a fireball in his hand. He thrust it forward and let it explode, sending Kanji flying back with a scream of pain. "Now, that's one down- mmph!"

Sho leapt onto his back, almost sending them both to the ground if Dao hadn't dug his heels into the earth. A hand clamped down firmly on his mask. Dao tried to pry Sho off his back, but his mind swam suddenly as he felt his life force being ripped out of him. _W-what the hell?_

Sho whipped a knife out of his belt and plunged it into Dao's side, slowly turning it as he kept his hand on Dao's mask. It began to glow with unnatural energy as Dao grabbed him, swiftly reversing the grip and downing him with a powerful straight punch. Before Sho could rise, Dao planted a heavy foot on his chest and pressed down. Sho choked out a groan of pain, but managed a cheeky grin. "Really putting your foot down, aren'tcha- gah-!"

Dao dropped down on the same foot, sending his knee into Sho's chest. He leaned casually on it as Sho screamed and gasped for air. "...You were saying something?"

Before Sho could let loose with the anticipated volley of curses, a loud gunshot rang out, and an unreasonably large bullet pierced Dao's shoulder. The raw force of it sent him flying off his prey and into a nearby wall. Labrys darted in with her axe's jets and landed next to Sho, concern written into her features before she looked up and fixed Dao with a deathly glare. He simply waved lazily from where he was pinned into the rubble before looking around for a way to pry himself out. As he reached out to his glaive that was still lying a few meters away, a large spear embedded itself just above his arm. "Oh."

He glanced over to Labrys and cocked his head at the newcomer. "Huh."

There was a blonde android joining Labrys, offering a helping hand to pick Sho up. "Sis, can I get an assist here?"

"Help yourself, I'm a little busy!"

Jisi parried another swing from Yosuke's dagger, readying an arm to attack only to be intercepted by Chie kicking her forearm. She knocked her away with a raised pillar, but Yosuke caught her attention by grabbing her by her arm and pulling her away. He spun his dagger and threw himself into a roll to cut and move at the same time. "Go, Takehaya!"

Susano-o threw forward a tornado of wind, the current quickly picking up speed until the violent winds were as sharp as blades. Jisi and Yosuke face each other down from either side of the miniature maelstrom, the latter twirling one of his daggers and frowning grimly.

[- - -]

"I think it's time to address the elephant in the room. What happened to Dao?"

Igor nodded and smiled slightly, nodding to himself until Theo put what he hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Jisi was attacked one day. She...scarcely survived. Her physical body had healed, but her soul was fractured beyond repair."

"...I assume this was no normal Shadow."

Igor shook his head. "You recall the calamity we spoke about upon your return to the town, I hope?"

Souji nodded, so Igor continued. "Jisi was no slouch in the realm of fighting. Not quite up to par with my attendants, but powerful nonetheless."

"Something to be feared then."

"Indeed. I regret to say there were not many options that would be able to salvage the poor girl, and...I believe that is when I lost both Dao and Jisi."

Igor's hands knit together tightly, a grim set to his jaw as he looked down. Theo remained quiet, either out of respect or because there were simply no words. After an extended, uncomfortable silence, Igor raised his head and spoke again, albeit more quietly. "Dao refused my claim. He left the next day, taking his sister with him. It...was only just before you returned that I learned what had happened."

"He had sold his soul to save his sister. When Marie informed me that Dao had returned…"

He shook his head again and, to Souji's surprise, shrugged helplessly. "There is nothing I can do now. My attempt to intervene, however selfish of me, was met with failure."

"How did he revive his sister?"

"He was given whatever he wanted in exchange for his service. Your peers have encountered this entity once before, although a great personal cost. She was the last guest to the Velvet Room until you arrived."

"...Minako Arisato, right?"

Igor nodded and smiled wistfully. "Nyx is the devil that Dao has dealt with."

"I've heard a bit. Could it be that she is the one that attacked Jisi?"

"If that is true, then Dao was doomed from the beginning, and his sister was merely a pawn."

Souji nodded and glanced at Marie. She seemed as anxious outwardly as he felt internally. He rubbed his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees, muttering under his breath, "Damn it."

[- - -]

Dao ducked quickly and launched himself into a forward somersault, disappearing in a wisp of fog. Unlike the other times he had teleported and left a trail of inky black fog, there was no trace of him to follow or anticipate. Naoto raised her revolver to where she hoped he would appear, firing a shot but hitting nothing. "_Naoto-kun, behind you!"_

"Boo."

Dao appeared behind her and elbowed her side roughly, grabbing her by the back of her collar before the impact could send her to the ground. Her face tightened in pain, a choked gasp escaping her as Dao held her aloft. "Naoto-kun!"

Yosuke ran at him with daggers at the ready, but Dao visibly tightened his grip to stop him in his tracks. "Hold it."

Ouroboros was visibly glowing now, scales coated in bright white light as its eyes shone with crimson. "Time's up."

The team braced for the attack...but nothing happened, and Ouroboros simply unwound itself from its perch and landed around Dao's shoulders. It coiled around his arm affectionately before disappearing in a burst of light. "Congrats. We're done here."

He released Naoto and teleported to where Jisi had fallen, soundly defeated by Yosuke only minutes prior. "Nice one, sis."

"Screw you."

Dao threw his cloak and let it form into its ethereal portal, glancing at the wary, but exhausted, party. "I'm impressed. So impressed, in fact, that I'll destroy some Shades for ya. Maybe two. You've earned it."

He offered a two-fingered salute and disappeared into the portal without another word. Kanji coughed from where he was lying, glaring up at the sky as he sprawled out on the earth. "I hate that guy."

"He's not great."

Naoto ignored the buzz of general complaints amongst her friends and offered a polite bow to the newcomer. "Thank you for assisting us, Aigis."

Labrys' sister nodded and folded her portable rifle away, meeting Naoto's eyes with a small, yet warm, smile. "Think nothing of it. I was told that the help would be appreciated."

"Ah-"

"Probably."

"Oh, it's-it's appreciated."

"_That one was me. It was touch-and-go for a minute there, so…"_

"In that case, thank you, Rise-chan."

"_Come on home for today. We can re-assess the situation and lick our wounds."_

"Sounds like a plan."

Souji was there to greet them when they returned, but he looked more tired than he did when they entered. "Hey. Welcome back."

The members of the squad dispersed to do their own thing, whether it was leaving equipment behind for Sho and Labrys or heading to the infirmary like Kanji and Yosuke. Souji put his hand on Rise's shoulder and smiled thankfully, a sentiment she returned with a quick lean of her head onto his shoulder. "Thanks for watching over them."

"Mhm. I'm gonna go see if Kanji's okay."

"Alright. See you."

He followed Naoto to where she was setting her holster down, planting her hands on the table and heaving a weary sigh. It spoke volumes about the fight the team had weathered, so he carefully put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. He frowned to himself when she sighed and melded into the embrace. "Sorry I wasn't there."

"Aah. I don't know how you take the beatings that you do every time we go in there."

"Push-ups, sit-ups, and plenty o' juice."

"Cute."

"Sounds like you need some sleep."

"It would be nice."

"We're done for today. Go on and rest up. Maybe visit the infirmary later."

"I think I'll just sleep whatever hurts off."

"See that you do."

Souji made to leave, but was stopped by her arm going around his back and clutching his shirt. He took the hint and rested his head gently atop hers. "Could you...come with me?"

He scoffed lightly and rubbed her shoulder. "Whatever you want."

* * *

**So, uh...yeah. Revelations and stuff. **

**Hope this was worth the read. I have an idea of how and when this story is going to end, so I can safely say that I managed to rein in my case of scope creep.**

**I was thinking of writing more about the concepts of the story (how I thought up the idea of Shades, etc.) in these notes as the story comes to a close, but I don't know if you want the extra wall of text.**

**Food for thought! Anyhow, that's all from me for now. Till next time!**


	23. The Stray Dog's Fall

**This chapter, uh...well. Longer one that usual, but that's not a bad thing, right?**

**I'd say as the writer that this chapter focuses more on Dao than our heroes. At this point in the story, I don't know if the majority of you hate Dao as a character or a villain, but I've personally grown attached to my little creation. I hope that devotion helps your opinion of him, too.**

**Enough of my wistful ramblings. I'll include a little design note post-chapter. Till then, enjoy.**

* * *

Souji awoke late that night at the sound of Naoto screaming.

He jolted up to find her sitting straight, pillow thrown to the floor as she hugged herself and kept her head bowed. She was shaking like a leaf, unable to hold back a flinch when Souji gingerly touched her shoulder. He pulled his hand back, but didn't waver. "Naoto," He asked quietly. "Naoto, look at me."

She complied slowly, grey eyes soft and vulnerable as she bit her lip and tried to put words to use. "Come here."

He pulled her into his arms, letting her slide onto his lap and cradling her head against him. She simply knotted her hands in his shirt, crying softly as he whispered words of comfort into her ear. He held her until she got it out of her system, a hand gently brushing her hair until she raised her gaze to his. "I-...I thought I wouldn't have that dream anymore...now that I know you're okay, but-"

She squeezed her eyes shut and curled against him, her voice sinking to a fearful whisper. "I keep seeing you failing to draw breath...and the blood."

Souji's heart stopped for a second, and he swallowed heavily when the weight of just what he put her through, however not his fault, truly sank in. "I'm sorry."

She managed a bitter laugh at that, but, given her state, it came out more as a weak cough. "What could you be sorry for…? It's not as if you asked for that."

"...I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise," She began, her voice weak with emotion. "Promise me."

Souji froze, his hand still in Naoto's hair, at her words. He tried to say something for the next few seconds, but nothing would come forward. How could he guarantee something like that? It sounded...hell, it _felt _selfish, but…

"Naoto, I…"

She must have sensed his hesitation, because she shifted in his arms just enough to catch his sight, hands grasping almost desperately at his shirt as she said, more firmly this time, "Promise me."

Souji paused, keeping her in his arms as she managed to evenly hold his gaze. It felt like a bad idea, but he wanted to keep this one. "...I promise."

His chest tightened uncomfortably as she seemed to believe him; she smiled softly and nuzzled back against him, closing her eyes as her breaths slowly evened out. He continued grooming her hair, ruffling it gently before smoothing it out as she slept peacefully in his arms. "I promise."

He closed his eyes and kissed her head, resting his back against the headboard and making himself as comfortable as he could. He looked down one more time at the sleeping detective before resting his head on her shoulder and focusing on sleep.

He woke up again a few hours later with a slight kink in his neck, but he still felt much more well-rested compared to the past few days. He attributed that to the girl in his arms, as she was slowly waking up herself. She stifled a yawn with her hand and blinked slowly before realizing where she was, quickly looking up at Souji and blushing. "Morning, Princess."

The familiar nickname only succeeded in snapping Naoto out of her sleepy stupor and heating up her face more. "Good morning."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, but…" She quizzically looked around, willfully ignoring how she had slept for the past few hours. "You seem to be in an uncomfortable position."

"Nah."

He helped her off him and stood from the bed, stretching his arms over his head and rolling his neck, groaning a bit when he felt a slight pop. Naoto quietly followed suit, letting out a low hum as she wandered into the bathroom. Souji checked his phone and noticed a notification telling him to meet everyone in the war room in an hour. He spoke up just as Naoto was coming out of the bathroom. "I'm coming with you today."

"Oh?"

"Yep. You okay with that?"

Naoto didn't answer immediately, walking over to him and putting her hands on his shoulders. She narrowed her eyes, turning his head this way and that as if she was conducting an inspection. She patted his cheeks, pulled them gently and playfully made him smile. "Stop that."

She smiled gently and kissed his forehead, lingering there and letting her arms go around his shoulders. "I don't see any problem here. I'd be glad to have you come along."

Souji snorted to himself, tugging her down onto his lap and putting an arm around her waist to steady her. "...You remember what you said a few hours ago, yeah?"

Naoto looked down at him, relaxing into his embrace and keeping his focus on her. "I do. Did you mean it?"

Souji's feelings about the promise were primarily hesitant at the time that he gave it, but his mind eventually had it give way to raw determination. This was for her, after all. "Course I did. I love you."

She smiled warmly, cupping a cheek and, after a moment, tentatively pressing her lips to his. Her eyes fluttered shut with his, and she pulled away just enough to let her breath fan his mouth and whisper, "Say it again."

"I love you."

She pushed him hard enough for them to topple over, not allowing either of them to say anymore as she kissed him, as if she was trying to push all of her feelings into the gesture. Souji's hands, idle until that moment, rose to rest on her back and her hair, respectively. His phone fell to the floor, where it would be ignored for the next few meeting could wait for a bit.

[- - -]

"Jisi? Jisi, c'mon, focus."

Dao snapped his fingers in front of her face, glowing eyes full of concern as he hovered in front of her. His sister started a bit, shaking her head warily as she muttered, "Sorry. Guess I'm just out of it today."

He chuckled lightly, pushing her head as he turned to open the portal. She rubbed her arm and looked away, ignoring the affectionate gesture as she peered into the dark rift that opened before them. "Wanna stay behind again?"

"..."

Dao ducked to put himself in her line of sight, shrugging as she blinked in surprise. "Jisi. You coming?"

"Y-...yeah. Lead the way."

Contrary to her words, she started forward only to be gently pushed back by Dao. "What?"

Her tone was defensive, and Dao would've raised an eyebrow if he could. "You sure you're good?"

His worry brought a small smile to her face, and she bumped her knuckles against his mask and took his hand to tug him towards the portal. "A hundred percent, silly. Now, come on. You're the leader here."

[- - -]

"You're late."

"Yeah...haha, I guess we are."

Souji scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly; Naoto wasn't faring much better, a light blush on her face as she separated from her boyfriend and fished her equipment out of the trunk near her workbench. Souji watched her for a second then shrugged, looking around the room and surveying who was and wasn't absent; the Shadow Operatives were largely absent save for Sho and Labrys. However, the way they were arguing seemed to threaten even that. Aside from the two, the rest of his team was present.

...Except for Kanji.

"Rise?"

His junior looked up from her phone and smiled distractedly, a question in her eyes as she regarded him. "What happened to Kanji?"

"Aah...it's complicated. We ran into some...uh, obstacles."

"Dao?"

"Dao. We got some good hits in, but Kanji got wrecked pretty badly. Yukiko-senpai healed him up just fine, but he didn't really take it too well."

"I see. I'll have to talk to him later."

"You'll be going in today?"

"Yep. Back to a hundred percent...I think."

"Don't think, feel. As Chie-senpai would say, at least."

"Guess so. Watch over us?"

"Always will."

Souji smiled and put a hand on her shoulder in passing, heading over to the bench where Chie and Yosuke were chatting away. "Hey."

"Yo."

"Heya, Souji-kun."

"You guys been managing okay without me?"

Yosuke nodded, idly twirling a dagger as he grinned at the memory. "Yeah. I can make a career out of covering for your ass."

"I appreciate it." He then turned his attention back to his other friend. "You back on your horse?"

"Yep. Would rather eat it right about now...kinda hungry."

"I told you to eat breakfast."

"Ehh...you didn't either."

"That's just because Akihiko-san tried to make me eat it with protein."

"Suffer with me, then."

"Sensei~!"

Souji was almost bowled over by the bear-boy jumping on his back. "Hey, Teddie."

"I'm'a comin' with ya today! Okay?"

"Ye-"

"Okay."

The conversation promptly ended, with Teddie launching himself off Souji's back and sailing towards his bear suit. The impact sent both careening out of the room, and a shocked shriek told the team that someone had witnessed the bear katamari. Even Sho and Labrys ceased arguing to take a peek at the aftermath. Already a bit weary, Souji looked to Yosuke and asked, "You mind coming with?"

"I think I'll have to…"

"Thanks. Sorry, Chie."

"No problem. I already went last time. Don't want to bring Yukiko?"

"Tactically speaking, we don't need two medics today. We'll all get a turn."

"Alrighty, then. Don't hurt yourself too much, both of you." She made a point of giving Souji a pointed look to drive her point home. "Especially you. One heart attack was enough for all of us."

"Can do. Thanks, Chie."

He nodded to the both of them, offering an apologetic smile to Yukiko. "Next time. I promise."

She simply smiled, although Souji detected a hint of sadness at being left out again. Predicted, but no less painful. "Don't worry about it. I've been meaning to ask Mitsuru-san about something."

"We'll talk later. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Souji-kun. I'll catch you another time."

As she took her leave, Souji picked his katana off his table, turning it experimentally in his hand and placing the handle in his free hand. His fingers closed around the meshed handle, tightening briefly before he quickly unsheathed the blade and held it aloft. "Hmm."

"Rusty?"

"Hope not."

He sheathed it and tied it to his belt, turning and sitting on the table to make talking to Naoto easier. "You good?"

"I must say, I'm anxious."

"...Yeah?"

"Yes, well, it's hard to think that…"

Souji reached over and cupped her cheek, glowing inwardly as she naturally pressed just a bit closer into his palm. Naoto continued listing out her worries, although in a lower tone, as he leaned in a bit to signal his intention. She raised an eyebrow, her next remarks cut off and melding into a pleasantly surprised yelp as he pressed his lips to hers.

Souji kept his palm where it was, warming Naoto's cheek as the world fell away for a brief, fulfilling moment of comfort. When he pulled away, she slowly opened her eyes and couldn't hold back a light, nervous laugh. "I-I see. You think I'm worrying too much, don't you?"

Souji's smile turned to a satisfied grin, and he nodded, his message successfully received. "Yup."

She returned the sentiment with a rosy blush upon realizing that they had could the stares of almost everyone in the room save for Sho and Labrys, the former because he was talking into a phone and the latter because she seemed to be anxiously listening for whatever he was discussing. "Yeah, okay. I'll head over sometime so you can take a look."

Labrys bounced on her feet, prompting Sho to glare at her and plant a hand firmly on her head to keep her in place. "Uh-huh. Yeah, fine. She can come."

Labrys grinned and ducked back to the table she was standing next to to snatch up her axe and toss it onto her back. Sho heaved a weary sigh and pocketed his phone, glancing at Labrys as she ran over to a seemingly random corner to grab a jacket and throw it on. "So what'd he say?! Good news, right?"

"He said he'll take a look at it."

"Woohoo!"

"Cool it. We don't know if he can fix it or not."

Labrys recoiled and glared at him, ducking just low and fast enough to bop him over the head with the handle of her axe. He grimaced and rubbed his head irritably, but didn't otherwise say anything. "Really?"

"Yes. Now, let's go."

The android looked over at Souji and waved cheerily, dragging Sho towards the door just as he stored his swords away. "We've got some errands to run, Souji-kun! Don't wait up!"

He returned the gesture, albeit more relaxedly, and nodded. "Alright. See you later, then."

For the second time in the new case, Souji heard the heavy cocking of a gun catch his attention. He turned to see Naoto weighing a decent-sized submachine gun in her hand, having seemingly put it together judging by the suitcase in front of her. There were small indents dotted in the material in the case, further confirming his suspicions. "...No shotgun today?"

Naoto pulled the magazine out of the firearm and inspected the number of bullets inside, not looking at him as she answered. "...? Oh, right. You weren't there. Dao destroyed it."

"Is there any other part of the family armory I should know about?"

Naoto cocked her head slightly and latched a small ammunition pouch to her holster, fastening her submachine gun to her left hip. "Well…"

**Some time ago…**

Minoru Shirogane carefully picked up one of the discarded chairs and set it upright, the clattering of wood on the floor coaxing a flinch out of the man nursing his wounds. "So…"

The older Shirogane sat quietly, crossing one leg over the other and watching as his guest whimpered in pain. "Have we come to an understanding?"

He didn't wait for an answer, reaching over to the table and undoing the clasps on the case he brought with him. The man froze, loath to find out what was in the infernal thing. "I prefer prompt answers. I'm told I can be quite...impatient."

He plucked a scalpel out of the case and spun it between his fingers, the metal almost whistling through the air as the man began to panic and shuffle back against the wall. Minoru flicked it into the air and caught the blade between his fingers, poised to throw straight at his victim. "...I'm waiting."

**Present day…**

"...so, yes, Grandpa has amassed quite the...arsenal over the years.

Naoto inspected her revolver one more time before placing her revolver into its place in the holster. She turned to see Souji gaping at her, eyes wide and a tad fearful as he considered just what family he was dating the heir of. Naoto held her mirth for a moment more before grinning and gently pinching his cheek. "I'm just joking, Souji-kun."

"I-I hope so."

[- - -]

Dao adjusted his tie as a figure watched him walk into the room it was occupying. "_Hey! You're back!"_

He looked at...her...strangely, slightly unsettled by the sudden bubbliness. "Y-...yeah. The hell's wrong with you?"

"_Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm simply adjusting to the feeling of this form."_

"But it's not a true body, yeah?"

It was close enough, if Dao had to be honest. If he didn't know any better, or if he didn't feel the raw, underlying layer of malice to the air, it was as if he was talking to Minako Arisato herself. She tucked some of her hair behind an ear and smiled gently. "_No. But it speaks volumes about how close I am to breaking the Seal. Her soul will be mine."_

"A fitting throne, huh."

Nyx giggled and shrugged, crossing one of her legs over the other from the simple chair she was sitting in. "_Right? It's so...wonderful. I believe that Souji Seta's skill does not hold a candle to this girl."_

Dao scoffed at that, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "What, you know her fighting style, too? I'm 'fraid it's not that simple."

Nyx disappeared in a wisp of static, reappearing before Dao a split-second later. She reached up to caress his chest, tone sinking to a soft low as she whispered, "_Are you so sure about that?"_

He snatched her hand and held it aloft, contempt almost palpable in his voice as he growled, "Control your damn emotions. If there's nothing else you need from me right now, I'm leaving."

He released her, and, to drive his point home, turned to leave, only to feel the new nuisance latch onto his back. Jisi stepped away, unnerved when Nyx's gaze briefly locked onto her, a silent threat being sent through the short moment of contact. Dao grabbed one of the arms Nyx had thrown around his neck and tried vainly to pull her off. "_You're really tall."_

"And death itself is acting like a hormonal teenager. Get off me."

"_Oh, come now. Everything is ready, only...I'm a tad unconvinced of your loyalty."_

Jisi swallowed nervously, her mind briefly recalling her previous discussion with her brother. _...Because we're gonna kill the devil._

"What are you on about?"

"_Why is Seta not...y'know, dead yet?"_

"He has yet to kill the remaining Shades."

Nyx's feet visibly dangled slightly from how she was hanging off of Dao's back, but she clung to him even as he started walking towards the portal he came through. Dark lightning briefly danced around her fingertip as she pointed at the portal, forcing it to close in a blink of light. Dao held back a sigh, something Nyx felt as his chest rose ever so slightly. "...Evidently, you still have something to ask of me."

"_Maybe I appreciate your company."_

"I doubt that. I _sincerely _doubt that."

"_Come on," _Nyx let a hand drift under his tie and past the upper buttons of his shirt. "_Why does Seta need to kill these Shades?"_

"You know why. Stop wasting my time."

"_And are you strong enough to kill him when the time comes?"_

Her voice was an almost sultry murmur, but what she was saying offered dissonance towards what Dao assumed was some cruel parody of the original Minako's personality. "If I can, then I will. If I can't, well...you're the goddess of death, aren't ya?"

"_Oh, but that's no fun. Is there anything I can do-"_

"No."

Nyx grinned, her suspicions confirmed by his abrupt answer and renewed attempts to pull her off. "_You require something more. Something that will...complete you."_

She drew her arm back over his throat and purred softly, this time willingly letting go and landing on her feet when Dao grabbed her hand and wrenched it away.

"_Mmm...I understand. You simply require the rest of your soul."_

Nyx disappeared again, reappearing directly behind Jisi and in full view of Dao. His eyes widened from behind his mask as he realized exactly what she had said. "Wait! You can't-"

"_You shall have it," _Her hand shot out and seized Jisi by the back of her head as unnaturally white energy began to flow through her fingers, The cheer remained in her voice even as Jisi's screams began to pierce Dao's ears. "_Isn't that wonderful?"_

[- - -]

"Well, we're starting early today."

Souji crouched slightly and put a hand on his katana, swallowing his surprise over how quickly communications had broken down. Rather than find the Shade, today the Shade found them. It was venerable creature by the looks of it, resembling a man forced to all fours but permanently burning from some unnatural flame. It wore a mask adorned with a 'IX' marking, although this one was visibly cracked from a past of abuse. Contrary to the flames, ice fused its hands and feet to the surroundings, and it was only able to move its extremities with visible effort. It easily towered above the squad, topped off by a pair of wings that lead Souji to briefly compare it to Helel. He quickly shook his head free of these thoughts. "_Guys, ignore the weird fires. It looks like it will fight primarily with ice, judging by its resistances. Ah...and the wings! I took a closer look, and...they're damaged somehow."_

Naoto took the last tidbit of information with more interest than the rest, inquiring, "I see. Is there any way we can use that to our advantage?"

"_Hmm...the joints of the wings look particularly sensitive. If you can hit them hard enough, I bet it can do some real damage!"_

"Interesting...Souji, come with me. I have a plan."

"Oookay, then. Lead the way, boss."

"I'm guessing you guys will need a distraction-"

"Freeze, heathen!"

Teddie cast a Bufudyne on the Shade to no effect, causing Yosuke to pull him back irritably. Souji exchanged a quick fist-bump with his partner as Naoto quickly took in the surroundings and set out to the east.

"So what's this plan of yours?"

"I'm going to shoot the Shade!"

"That's a good rule of thumb, but why are we running away?"

"I need a vantage point. And a guardian for when I need to focus."

"Okay, then."

They arrived at a building that Souji couldn't quite place in their haste, the telltale sounds of shadows following their footsteps. The sound lent haste to the duo, rounding the back of the building and to a service ladder leading to the roof. Naoto swapped her revolver in favor of her SMG, turning on her heel and crouching as she cocked her head towards the ladder. "Go. I'm going to thin out the crowd."

She let loose a spray of bullets into the first few, leaning away from a sudden explosion of debris and raising an arm to protect her face. "What?"

She cut herself off upon seeing a black wolf rise from the remains of goo that just barely resembled unformed shadows. Souji righted himself and called down from the rooftop, "Can't let you have all the fun! Come on and show me your master plan!"

Naoto grumbled to herself and adjusted her weapons, leaving Fenrir to lay waste as she placed a hand on the ladder. Souji took her hand and pulled her up as she neared the top, grinning as she flicked his forehead. "You had to pick the local Junes, didn't you?"

"What can I say? They embellish their architecture."

Souji glanced at the back of the derelict Junes logo that was on the verge of falling off the building. "Right…"

"Of course I am. Now come, I need you to watch my back."

Naoto drew her revolver and pulled the small stock out of the back. "...You're going to snipe the Shade?"

"Yup."

"Nice."

Naoto crouched and tried to look over the landscape, but was only able to glimpse what looked like a mirror. She reached into her ammunition pouch and pulled out a miniature scope, fastening it to the rail atop her revolver and calling her Persona. "Yamato-Sumeragi, would you mind?"

The Persona appeared over her shoulder and hovered her hand near Naoto's cheek. A visor identical to the one Yamato was wearing briefly appeared over Naoto's eyes, disappearing with a soft flash of static after a moment. The only indication that Naoto gained from the visit was a soft, crystalline blue glow in her eyes. "Here's hoping."

"What just happened?"

"An experiment. Hush now, I need to focus."

It was then that Souji took a second to look at the new weapon; an improvised sniper rifle with a menacing motif and foreboding ammunition capacity. "You don't happen to have a rocket launcher lying around somewhere, do you?"

"Of course not. That would be unnecessary overkill."

"Phew…" _Is there necessary overkill?_

"That's why I left it at the estate."

"What?!"

"I'm kidding."

Naoto slowly pressed the stock of the makeshift rifle to her shoulder and peered into the scope, slowly scanning the environment until an explosion of debris caught her attention. "There you are…"

Souji idly pulled his katana out of its sheath and inspected the base of the blade before replacing it. The sound of something writhing angrily a few yards away caused him to turn and put his hand on the handle. Numerous shadows were advancing upon them, blobs of black ooze cascading along the floor and staring blankly through macabre masks. He drew his katana completely this time, grounding his feet firmly and holding the new blade with both hands. "Alright...come at me."

[- - -]

"_Please don't interrupt...this is for you, after all."_

Dao's attempt to save his sister were lazily stopped when a spectral naginata appeared in Nyx's hand and pointed itself at his throat. He growled and teleported around the weapon, but she seemed to adjust instantly, the blade always finding itself at his throat to hold him back. Jisi's screams had devolved into weak cries of pain that would echo in Dao's ears forever.

"Put her down, you-"

"_Now, now. If you don't have anything nice to say…"_

Nyx spoke with the tone of one admonishing a child, and the fact that she was speaking as Arisato did not help matters. Jisi, now visibly pale and seemingly leaking energy, fell from her hand in a heavy heap on the floor, weakly coughing as Nyx stepped back and Dao rushed to pick her up. "Jisi!"

She opened her eyes slowly, pupils faded into whitish dots as she managed a weak smile. "Sh-...sh-shitty blood transplant, yeah?"

"Just-just shut up, I can fix this-"

"_Don't lie."_

Fury radiated in Dao's eyes as he glared up at the speaker, beginning to speak before he froze, a foreign feeling rushing through his body. He stared down in alarm at Jisi as she loosed a shuddering sigh, blinking rapidly as she slowly felt her vision leaving her. "Stop that. We still have work to do-"

"Sorry."

As Dao felt his soul return to him, his face reverted from the black wisp it once was. His skin became what it was before, and he felt his hair brushed gently by the wind. He finally felt tears stream and burn his cheeks, soaking slightly into his short beard as the remains of his sister disappeared from his hands. His soul completed him at last, but, at the same time, he had never felt so utterly empty.

She reached up and touched his cheek, smiling slightly when she felt skin rather than a hardened mask. "I-...I guess you'll just have to see this through."

Her body slowly disintegrated when Nyx silently clenched a fist, silencing whatever goodbye the girl had for her brother. Jisi faded into a small cloud of light blue wisps that lingered in Dao's hands before fluttering away in the wind. He stared at his hands silently, with Nyx allowing a minute to pass before plastering a smile on her face and saying, "_That's much better, isn't it? Now, I-"_

"RAAAAAAAH!"

The roar that tore its way out of Dao's throat caused the ground to tremble and the clouds to curl into themselves, ultimately calling a torrent of blood-red rain as he felt his own tears stream down his cheeks. Nyx simply watched, planting her naginata blade in the ground and smiling in satisfaction. She ducked her head to the side as the heel of Dao's palm flew past her cheek, nodding in approval at the murderous intent evident in his expression. "_You're looking good."_

He hefted her up by the collar of her uniform and pulled her close, unaware or uncaring of the rain beating down on both of them. "Did I ask…"

He paused to take a deep breath, as if he was holding himself back from killing her right then and there. "Did I ask you to give me back what I willingly gave away? Did I want you to murder my sister?!"

The snarl was clear in his voice as he stormed forward until her back was pressed firmly against a wall. Nyx was...distinctly unimpressed by the show of force. "_You didn't ask me. But I could see it. Why would you wear a mask? Why did you get so...angry when your back was against the wall?"_

Nyx smiled sweetly when he didn't say anything; she had him ensnared the second he just slightly loosened his grip on her uniform. "_You wanted things to be right. You wanted to _kill _them."_

"...You evil _bitch."_

"_I _am _Death."_

[- - -]

Souji looked skyward and extended a palm out in the rare moment of calm he earned from beating the shadows back far enough. A drop of water greeted his hand, slowly falling faster until a respectable torrent was pouring down. "Rain…? In here?"

He was mildly perturbed by how the supposedly-clear liquid painted his palm red, but he ignored it in favor of twirling his katana and lacing it with electricity. Naoto ignored the rain, focusing and firing at the towering Shade's wing. It struck true, clipping the joint where one of its wings bent and drawing its attention to her. It raised one of its ice-laden hands and crushed its palm against the ground, sending ice crawling along the ruined shopping district roads.

Yosuke jumped into a dodge and planted a dagger in the earth to spin around it and right himself. He called Takehaya to blow the cold air back onto the Shade, not damaging it but drawing its attention. It roared from behind the mask and lunged towards him, easily toppling some of the smaller buildings in its path. "...Crap."

At the last second, Yosuke jumped over the wrecking ball hand and quickly slashed it on his way over. The attack did more damage than he figured, a large cut opening and bleeding fog as he landed. "Teddie!"

The bear-boy rolled (literally) out of the way and jumped up, having Kamui-Moshiri to launch a missile at the open wound. It struck true, lodging itself in the cut but...not exploding. "What the hell, Teddie?!"

"It's not my fault! This guy's just really cold!"

As if on response, the sound of crinkling metal caught their attention. The missile had almost completely frozen over, but it remained embedded in place. The Shade roared angrily, fire spewing out and coating its wings as it raised its head and began forming a small ball of light in front of its mask. Another gunshot rang out, a bullet pounding into the Shade's head. It didn't react, prompting Naoto to take her eye off the scope. "Uh-oh."

"What? What's 'uh-oh'?"

"It's preparing some sort of attack. A ball of light, by the looks of it."

"Uhh…" Souji impaled a shadow on his katana and threw it at the oncoming wave, mind working to figure out what that could mean. "Damn. It's a Morning Star; Rise, tell them to get outta there!"

He ran over to Naoto as Rise relayed the message, sliding into a crouch and almost stumbling off the rooftop. Naoto seized his shirt but kept her focus on the now-still Shade. "Careful now. You have more experience with almighty magic than I do. Any suggestions?"

Souji frowned, calling Fenrir to keep the shadows back. "Now that it's been formed, it's gonna explode no matter what. I could counter with my own, but that'll probably make a bigger explosion than we want to deal with."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"...Shoot the ball."

"Wouldn't that blow it up?"

"Yeah. The lesser of two evils, I'd say."

"...Mm...alright then. This will be over quickly."

The sound of grinding stone forced Souji to turn and see the new wave of shadows clambering onto the roof. He picked up his katana and joined Fenrir on the offensive. "Damn, they're climbing up."

"Mhm...give me a moment."

Souji booted an approaching shadow off the roof and drew his katana, impaling another and throwing it into one that was grabbing for his leg. "I don't think we have a moment!"

"I trust you to buy a few."

"Naoto!"

Naoto fired off another round as Souji punted a Hablerie into another shadow that hadn't quite formed. Bringing his katana back to his cheek, the blade was charged with a heavy bolt of electricity before he thrust it forward. The energy was forced forward in a blast, easily disintegrating a cloud of shadows while blowing others back and off the building. Naoto looked away from her scope for a moment to smile and offer a quick thumbs-up to Souji. "See? I believe in you!"

"Oh, stop that."

Souji ducked back and let Fenrir crush a shadow underpaw, sending it one way while he took to the other with katana at the ready. Naoto heard the ensuing carnage after a short warcry from Souji, smiling to herself and sliding a fresh cylinder of rounds into her gun. Focusing again, she zeroed in on the ball of light that was steadily growing more unstable.

[- - -]

Dao fell to his knees and retched, coughing out a small cloud of red blood as Nyx sauntered over. As much as he hated to admit it, he was unused to having himself restored to his original form. His power over fog was limited at best, and having a flesh body made him less durable than the zombie he used to be. "_You're only flesh and blood now. You can feel it, can't you?"_

She crouched down next to him and took his cheek in a sickeningly gentle palm. Her hand slowly moved to brush through his hair after carefully wiping the fresh tear trails from his cheeks. Dao resisted the urge to vomit; Nyx was exhibiting all the caring traits that Arisato was famously rumored to possess, but she also had the cruelty of Death itself. The symbiosis was as disturbing as it was cold. He wrenched his head away from her hand and held back a groan. "F-...fuck you."

Her smile remained, taking his chin between her fingers and leaning just close enough to kiss him if she wanted to. "_Do you still want to fight me? I believe I've already proven it to be futile."_

Dao rose to his knees with a growl, planting the blade of the glaive deep into the earth. Ethereal blue flames similar to those surrounding Persona cards rose from his shoulders as he reversed his grip on the handle and Ouroboros manifested around his shoulders. Nyx's feet skidded harshly against the floor when Dao forced her back with a blast of air. His breathing was rough, shoulders heaving as Ouroboros began to glow. "I'll keep on comin'...till one of us is dead. Until the bitter end."

Lightning burst viciously around his Persona as it glowed brighter, the sound of breaking glass cutting the air after a beat. Coiled around his shoulder was the same Persona, but a different one at the same time. "C'mon...Jörmungandr."

He sprinted forward at a remarkable speed, keeping his body low to the ground as Jörmungandr leapt and burst into countless pieces of glass. The scale-shaped pieces stopped in midair, pointing towards Nyx and barreling forward. The multitude of makeshift bullets rained down on her, piercing through the shield she formed to protect herself. She struck an arm out to send a torrent of light towards Dao.

He ducked and threw himself over Nyx, turning his body in midair to thrust his arm forward and point a finger directly at her face. "Just DIE already!"

Nyx's eyes widened in surprise as a ball of flame manifested at the tip of the digit. There would be no time to dodge; something he had accounted for by staying as close as possible. Fire washed over the ground as Dao sailed over her and landed, calling Jörmungandr and hefting his glaive over a shoulder. He put all of his might into throwing it only for it to be deflected and subsequently disintegrated by...something. Its shadow loomed over Dao as he summoned a new glaive and Jörmungandr hissed threateningly. "...Well, that's just fantuckingfastic."

[- - -]

Naoto slowly let out her breath and squeezed the trigger, her shoulder accepting the recoil as a heavy bullet zoomed towards its target. It cleanly pierced the ball, causing it to fold into itself before exploding spectacularly; those present were forced to avert their eyes as the miniature star burst.

After the light faded, Naoto looked over to the collapsing shade and breathed a sigh of relief. "Haaa...looks like we're done here."

"Not quite- get off!"

Souji ripped his hand away from the tongue of a bolder Hablerie, stabbing it swiftly and kicking it away quickly enough to turn and block a smashing blow from a Rain Musha. "Fenrir!"

The wolf Persona formed and tackled the samurai, forcing it down with a heavy paw and breathing a blast of ice straight into it. Naoto ran over and swerved around a questing swordpoint from a Knight, spraying it with her SMG as she made it to Souji's side. They stood back-to-back as Souji muttered, "You good on ammo?"

"More or less. More than enough for this rabble."

"What about less?"

"Another Shade."

"Heh. Alright, then."

The shadows rapidly formed into a mob of various Mushas, Towers, Knights, and more as they bore down on the pair. After a beat of deliberation, a Musha lunged forward. Souji caught the movement and reacted quickly. "Duck!"

Souji put a hand on Naoto's shoulder and pushed back, cleaving downwards onto the Musha and quickly adjusting his grip to block its retaliatory strike. He clapped a hand over his ear and shouted to Naoto. "Fire!"

She complied instantly, firing a round through its mask and pivoting to focus on the remaining shadows. "Are you okay?"

"Ears ringing a bit...but I'm good. That's what you were asking, right?"

She scoffed and said in a slightly louder tone. "Yes."

[- - -]

Dao groaned weakly and fell to his knees, collapsing onto the dusty earth with his broken glaive lying too far away for him to reach. Nonetheless, he crunched the dirt between his fingers and pulled himself along, grasping feebly for the weapon until he felt a heel dig into his back roughly. He choked out a shout of pain, digging his fingernails into his palm as Nyx leaned down and cooed, "_It's cute when you struggle. I don't, however, appreciate you trying to incinerate my uniform."_

"Stop trying to pass yourself off as her...you crazy bi-agh!"

She kicked him onto his back and smiled, sitting down on his chest and pulling his tie off. Despite his pain, he glared up at the goddess with defiant golden eyes. "Get off me."

He lunged for her face with a palm awash in fire, only for her to seize it, extinguish the flames, and bring it to her cheek. "_Two seconds. I'm giving you the chance to surrender. Your soul is yours again, and what's done is done."_

"You're telling me to give up."

"_Well...yes."_

After a second of struggling, Dao relaxed and huffed. "...Allow me to give you my honest rebuttal."

His fist shot forward and slammed into her cheek, his other hand seizing her collar and negating the recoil as he adjusted his waist and launched her over him with a foot to the chest. He stumbled to his feet, summoning the shred of energy he needed to call his glaive back.

Nyx recovered quickly and opened her mouth to say something, but elected not to as Dao charged at her and dove low, leaping upwards with the glaive outstretched. Nyx ducked backwards and brought her naginata down on his weapon, stopping his gathered momentum and keeping both of them firmly grounded. He growled and turned, only to meet her nigh-perfect defense when he swung again. They maintained their distance, using the lengths of their respective weapons to the most benefit possible as they clashed over and over again. Dao spun his weapon once and threw it at her after jumping back, sending a ball of ice after it as Nyx parried the makeshift spear. The hardened magic struck a heavy blow against her arm, and, had she been a true human, the force would have been enough to shatter bone.

Dao took a deep breath to slow his heartbeat, cracking his knuckles as Nyx recovered and tentatively flexed her arm. "_That hurt…"_

"Good. If you want me to serve you any longer, I suppose you'll just have to kill me."

"_Oh…?"_

Nyx looked downcast for a moment, arms limp at her sides as she regarded Dao with something approaching sadness. Suddenly, her eyes widened and glowed with a sinister light as a manic grin spread across her face. "_**That can be arranged."**_

[- - -]

"Now's the time!"

Contrary to the sniping team, the Shade was not dead. The explosion had easily decimated the tops of some of the buildings along with the majority of its torso, but it still writhed angrily as it blindly sought out its attackers. Yosuke leapt over a questing arm and touched down, ignoring the biting cold to stab both daggers into its hand. "Takehaya, help me out here!"

The Persona appeared and threw the bladed ring around its waist towards its arm. It gained speed until it became a veritable ripper, easily tearing through the arm and remaining embedded in the remnants of its torso. Teddie jumped out of his suit and dove his head in to search through his cavalcade of items. Dr. Salt, Souji's model robots, buckets from the Amagi Inn…"Zvarri! The item I need has revealed itself to me!"

"_...What?"_

Teddie grinned, ignoring Rise's confused squeak as he fished out a smart bomb tied to a balloon and a firecracker. He threw the first one into the distance, listening for it to go off and the Shade to turn enough to reveal the missile now-frozen to its hand. Tossing the explosive up and testing its weight, the bear-boy tossed it over the missile and bade Yosuke to get behind something. A comical whistling noise rang out as the balloon floated down, gently touching the bomb and exploding. The remains of the Shade were completely obliterated, leaving only a cloud of fog that quickly dissipated. Yosuke stood after he was sure the dust had cleared. He dusted off his shirt and jogged over to offer his friend a hand up, quickly making sure all his limbs were still where they should've been. "That was a pretty powerful bomb."

"_Yeah, no kidding. I could feel the shockwave from here…"_

Teddie grinned despite the dirt and dust in the air. "I've been saving that one for a special occasion.

[- - -]

Nyx took a graceful step forward, twirling her naginata over her head as Dao staggered back, the broken halves of his glaive dangling from his calloused hands. Ice lightly coated his clothes, his skin paler than usual due to the cold. White embers floated off him from the almighty attack he had managed to endure. "Shit…"

"_Are you done?"_

He fell to his knees, punching the earth with an angry fist as he forced himself to his feet once again. "Still got a few miles left to go."

Nyx frowned, thrusting forward and hitting Dao square in the chest with the base of the naginata. It was then, while he was doubled over on the staff and coughing up blood, that she was able to see the dried tear trails running down his cheeks. "_I didn't think you'd be so attached to her in such a short time."_

He put a hand on the naginata's staff to support himself, finally looking up after catching his breath as quickly as he could. "What did you expect?! She was my sister! _My FAMILY!_"

Dao burst into black and faintly reddish flames, his head returning to the black wisp it once was and gold eyes alight with fury. "_She wasn't a fucking doll!_"

He warped forward, brutally headbutting Nyx and seizing her by the shoulders, bodily lifting her and setting his hands aflame. "_I'll turn you to ashes. Your plans for the world die with the both of us!_"

Nyx's eyes widened as she felt her body begin to burn, cracks spreading across her skin as the flames bore into her, threatening to explode and kill them both. "_W-what?!"_

Dao roared, the flames rising higher as he pulled her closer and glared. "_I've already told you to __**DIE**__._"

The flames stormed skyward, piercing the clouds and filling the very air with the fog that the Investigation Team had come to associate with who they believed was an enemy.

The surroundings were brutalized by the fire, either immolating or blackening anything that dared to bear witness to Dao's fury. Minutes passed before the fog and ash cleared enough for any onlooker to see, revealing Dao sprawled out on the ground. His entire body was wreathed in smoke, and he shakily fell onto his side as he looked up and coughed. _Is...is that it?_

"_Aah...I thought you truly were going to kill us both."_

_What?!_

He looked over to the source of the voice in alarm, revealing Nyx slowly standing. Blackened by flame and clothes ruined by the embers, the soul thief was otherwise visibly unhurt. She hefted her naginata up and slowly fell prone next to him. Nyx sighed, crawling onto Dao as he fought for breath. She smiled down at him, gently rubbing his chest as he struggling to kick her off. She took his hands in hers and pinned them firmly to the ground, making a show of grinding carefully against his hips as she shuffled closer to his face. "_You were so close. A pity, really."_

Dao couldn't speak, drained of all energy but anger still burning in his eyes. He had already returned to his now-default form, short white hair contrasting the wisp that used to be his head. Nyx seemingly took this into account, carefully touching his cheek and cocking her head slightly. "_Just remember…"_

Dao stilled when he felt cold metal pierce his chest. He looked down to see the blade of a naginata embedded in him, his vision swimming as Nyx smiled serenely down at him. "_You asked for this."_

A noiseless gasp escaped his mouth as she gripped the base of the blade and twisted it more, a sickening crunch echoing through the air as she did. He gritted his teeth and tried to grab at her face, only to fall short when she twisted the blade sharply. Dao choked and faintly registered his head falling numbly against the ground, surroundings fading as his legs kicked weakly under her. "_Now...fulfill your promise."_

He slowly fell limp under her, blood both pooling the ground and staining the naginata as Nyx caressed his pale face and smiled.

[- - -]

Souji wearily sheathed his katana, falling back onto Fenrir's side as the wolf idly scanned the surroundings. Clear.

He brushed his now-soaked hair back and glanced skywards, the flames that had been soaring upwards having long since disappeared. That begged many questions, but for now the team needed a rest. "Finally stopped raining."

"I hope so. The shadows have retreated, as well."

Naoto closed the stock and holstered her revolver, holding her head with one hand as she blinked a few times to focus. She felt Souji walking behind her and fell back into his arms as he sat. "Good job."

She smiled and closed her eyes, humming quietly as Souji wrapped an arm around her waist. "View's kinda romantic. You sure that's not why you picked this building?"

"All part of my plan."

Souji made some small, amused noise and rested his chin on her shoulder, gently rocking back and forth as Naoto opened her eyes and looked out at the vista, the last bits of rain still falling from the sky.

A moment that was promptly stuffed when Souji turned his head away and sneezed. Naoto offered the customary blessing and looked up to inquire, "Are you alright?"

"You're dusty."

* * *

**So, yeah. **_**That **_**happened.**

**We're nearing the end of the road here, it seems. Also, I've been watching the character trailers for P5 and it's doing nothing to make the wait any easier. Gaaaah.**

Design notes:

**The idea of Dao was pretty flimsy in the beginning, as I'm sure is evident in his identity as the 'proxy' and sounding suspiciously like Hazama with the suit and Ouroboros (I can tell at least one reader, if they're still here, is a tad disappointed). Over time, he sort of developed into a sardonic kind of bastard. **

**The glaive came from a weapon similar to the Female Protagonist's weapon of choice, the naginata. Blades on stick, although the glaive a slight distinction in design. Connection to Minako? Why? Eheh. Similar yet different.**

**Aside from that, he's proficient with his hands and feet, as I've come to believe with the lack of weapons aside from...cards and a big book. **

**Why Ouroboros? He's the villain, aiming to bring about the end of the world. Or so it seems, huh?**

**Aah, and the name of Dao. It's a homage of sorts. **

End of notes.

I** think I'll stop there. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also, if you're tired of the chapter titles being "The Stray Dog's -", I'm gonna stop. These three chapters put more focus on Dao and I wanted to show that. That, and I love the Rule of Three.**

**Till next time!**


	24. The Calm

"Yes, so, um...that's why Akihiko-san never tries to feed Shinjiro-san protein."

"Wow…"

The sound of water being disturbed announced that the squad had returned. However, poor Fuuka couldn't hold back a terrified shriek at the state of the fighters. They were soaked, and that much was understandable given that Rise had informed her that it had inexplicably started raining while they were fighting. What she was most definitely not told about was that said rain had completely painted them red. Souji blinked wearily and opened his mouth to explain, but Rise bailed him out. "No, no, it's okay! It's just...rain."

"B-but it looks like blood!"

"It i~s…"

"What?!"

"Wait, what?"

Teddie had returned to his bear suit, equally covered in red rain like the rest of them, but eyes as empty as if he had left it. The head slowly popped off, an ominous light flowing out from within. Contrary to her fear, Fuuka couldn't help but try and get a peek at what was inside while remaining rooted to the spot. "RAWR!"

Teddie, the boy, burst out of the light, arms outstretched and mouth agape in an almost-fierce scowl. It had the desired effect, with Fuuka screaming and running out of the room. Rise stared at the door for a second before storming over and bopping Teddie over the head. "Why would you do that?!"

"Why wouldn't I? It was a beariffic opportunity for a good scare!"

Rise wanted to admonish him further, but was stopped by something rather odd. "Wait...why are you clean? You were out of the suit for a while."

Teddie grinned, planting triumphant hands on his hips and his suit collapsed around him, revealing his supposed cleanliness in all its glory. "My suit isn't just a storage closet and makeshift explosive!"

"Explosi-"

"It's also an all-in-one cleaning suite! That's why I'm always squeaky clean!"

He hopped out of the suit and gestured enthusiastically to it, determined to make his case to the stunned onlookers. "Sensei, give it a try!"

Souji, understandably, was rather nonplussed by the whole ordeal. "I, uh...I think I'll pass."

"Nao-chan?"

Naoto raised an eyebrow at the suit, shaking her head after pretending to consider. "Thank you, Teddie, but I think I'll have to say no as well."

"Bro~suke?"

Yosuke was as disturbed as Souji, but it still sounded like a rather convenient proposition. "...Eh, why not."

He climbed in, having to duck a bit as Teddie threw the head back on. The sound of machines running both intrigued and worried Souji. "...Is he okay in there?"

Rise shrugged, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I don't even know anymore."

"Yosuke-san?"

"Aah, he's fine. Right, Yosuke?"

No sound came from the suit. Souji rolled his shoulders and prepared to tear the suit open. "Alright, we gotta see what's going on in there. Stand back."

"In here!"

"I got it!"

A familiar figure ran in, brandishing a bat and using his other hand to press a baseball cap onto mussy hair. "Is that the one?"

"T-that's the one."

"Alright. Only I get away with scarin' Fuuka-san, ya crazy bear!"

Souji heard a ding from inside the suit, steam bursting out of the zipper as Junpei brandished his bat and readied his arm for a swing. "...Crap. Outta the way!"

Naoto pulled back, dragging Rise along with her, and Souji tried to budge to feebly budge the suit before Junpei made it across the room. "Gah, it's not moving. Yosuke, brace!"

He ducked back, and he felt his shoulders slump at Yosuke's next words; his warning went unheard. "Wow, that actually worked-"

Junpei's bat crashed into the suit just then, the sound of bouncing rubber echoing throughout the air as the suit, and Yosuke, were sent flying. Thankfully, it was still secure, but that only proved to be a hazard as the suit bounced around the room. Souji quickly calculated its next trajectory, asking Junpei for his bat and running to a corner. As the suit barreled towards him, he placed the bat against his forearm and prepared for impact. It crashed into him a moment later, forcing him against the corner as the suit's momentum was finally stopped. Wincing, he shook his arm and handed the bat back before trying to lift the suit back up. "Er...let me help you with that."

Junpei tucked the bat under his arm and went around the other side, pulling the suit back onto its feet. Now thoroughly winded, Souji leaned on a table and stared at Teddie. "What's that made of, titanium?"

"Nah, I just line the insides with cement."

"...I don't even…"

The suit opened, revealing Yosuke sprawled out in an ungainly heap but otherwise unhurt. Teddie, priorities straight as ever, quickly peeked inside and cheered. "Hahah, it worked! Look, all clean!"

Souji knew he was exhausted when he took another look at the suit before groaning and rubbing his neck. "...I need a nap. And a bath. We'll meet tomorrow."

"In that order?"

"Heh. Good night, Rise."

He paused, one hand on the door, to spare Naoto a quick glance. "You're welcome to join me anytime."

He said nothing more, shutting the door behind him and leaving two seniors, one junior, one partner, his girlfriend, and a bear in silence. At least, for a moment. Rise turned to Naoto afterwards, a sly smile plastered on her face. "Did he mean the nap or the bath?"

"I'm not going to answer that."

[- - -]

Souji put the pen down and sighed, leaving it on the bathroom mirror and straightening out his clothes before letting himself out of the room. He glanced uncertainly at the door and shook his head; better now than later. Quietly looking up and down the hallway, he took a breath and walked towards the stairway. "Shinjiro-san."

Shinjiro looked up from the cookbook he was reading, his eyes darting downward to the pages briefly before he subtly sighed and nodded to his visitor. "Hey. I thought you guys already finished today's excursion."

"Yeah, uh...yeah, we finished already. Probably better no one else came with us."

Shinjiro said nothing, raising an eyebrow as Souji grimaced at the aftermath. "Long story. I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yeah, starting to think you never will. What is it?"

"...Minako Arisato. She's here, right?"

Shinjiro blinked in surprise, masking it with a grunt and looking away. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Yeah. They've been keeping her healthy and all, but she's still as gone as she was four years ago. If what I've been told is true, then...she's never waking up."

He caught himself before he could say more, sighing and fixing Souji with a steady stare. "Why'd you want to know?"

"It's rude of me, I'm sure, but would you mind taking me to see her? I figure your approval takes precedence above others."

Shinjiro digested the request, nodding slowly to himself for a moment before standing and placing the cookbook on his seat. "Yeah, fine. No reason to say no, I guess. C'mon."

Souji was led down the hall of that floor to a room that was labelled as an infirmary but seemed to be out of use. "She's in here. Sleepin', obviously. Anyway...I'm sure you have your reasons. Take your time."

"You're not coming?"

Shinjiro walked past, considering his question before letting out an almost bitter chuckle. Souji watched him go, putting his hand on the doorknob and weighing the metal before letting himself in. He felt a strange sting run down his spine as he found the sleeping girl. Judging by what he had been told, Minako didn't look much different, save for longer hair and slightly more feminine features. Someone was definitely caring for her during her slumber; the thought made him smile in the realization that she was not forgotten. A small stack of cookbooks lay on the bedside cabinet, and Souji could tell that someone had read them and bought new ones if the spines were any indication. He quietly moved the chair next to the table enough for him to sit, releasing a deep sigh as he realized just where he was. Not two feet away from him lay a girl that had sacrificed herself to save the world. Before he knew it, he was speaking. "...I don't even know you, but I do know about you. You're me, but better."

He laughed to himself, gesturing aimlessly at the air as he chose what to say next. "You saved the world. I saved a little town. I feel a little inferior to you, heh."

He paused and looked down at his entwined hands. "Mitsuru-san told me about what you did. So...I don't know if you can hear me somehow, or if your soul is just completely disconnected from you, but...I'm trying my best."

Souji's shoulders slumped as he felt his posture break, the weight of his task bearing down on him for one critical minute. He dragged his hands down his face and clenched them into fists as he shook his head. "I wish I could sleep as long as you do."

Finally, he smiled. Genuinely, this time. Looking up at Arisato's face, he nodded to himself with newfound conviction. "But then that would just be lazy of me, huh."

Souji shrugged to himself and smiled down at the sleeping girl. "I don't know you, sure. But I'm gonna save you."

He put a hand on the foot of the bed and watched Minako for another second before pushing off and heading back outside. "Thank you."

Shinjiro nodded at him from where he was sitting, but said nothing more. Souji took his leave with a polite bow.

[- - -]

Souji blew out a breath as he walked into the bedroom he was sharing with Naoto, stopping as he opened the door when he saw a blanketed form on the bed. He quietly shut the door and peeked over the covers, revealing Naoto slumbering quietly. Her soft snores reached his ear as he turned to gently move one of the curtains, revealing that the sun had all but finished disappearing from the sky. He fished his phone out of his pocket and checked the time, confirming his suspicion that time had passed much more quickly than he was aware. He sighed again, dropping his phone on one of the chairs lying around and heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

When he joined Naoto in bed, the detective seemed to respond accordingly, turning over and smiling sleepily at him as he settled into the mattress. "Sorry."

She shook her head as best she could and pulled him closer. "I heard you sigh again. You're beginning to worry me."

"Sorry. Guess I should watch out."

"Mm. Sleep now."

As if to accentuate her point, she nuzzled her head into the pillow and closed her eyes again. Souji found no reason to object, following her lead and putting his arm around her waist.

[- - -]

"So you want us to stay behind today and learn some new tricks."

"Yep." Marie took off her glasses and fixed Souji with a withering glare, one he noted and conceded to with a shrug. "Don't look so disappointed."

"I didn't say that. What did you have in mind?"

She pondered for a moment and raised a hand, a glassy card appearing between her fingers. "You've all sort of used this in some form, but I want to show you all how to use magic more efficiently."

"And...Margaret'll be teaching us, right?"

A small cloud popped into existence above Souji's head, releasing a light cascade of rain onto Souji's head. He simply laughed it off and wiped some of the water off his brow. "I'm calling foul by way of godly shenanigans."

"Uh-huh. Anyway, I'll be showing all of you."

"'You', meaning…?"

"Your team. The Operative guys already know about this stuff through their own training, so...yeah."

Marie let the card fall and fade, nodding to herself and hopping back onto one of the tables. "Sound good? So we'll go over this little trick, and you guys can pick up the slack tomorrow."

Souji couldn't resist the urge to bounce on his feet and frown slightly. It most definitely wasn't a pout. "Do I have to attend this class?"

"Yes, doofus."

She ignored his further mock distress and turned to the rest of the team. "The Shadow Operatives already have a decent grasp of this through their own training, and the other blue folks are either busy or boring." She shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes-...usually both."

"And Souji?"

"He just...kinda stumbled on it."

"Eheheh."

"Shut up."

"Sorry."

Marie shrugged again and looked to the gathered teammates. "What do you think? It should be pretty easy for you guys to pick up."

There was unanimous murmur of agreement, although one was particularly less enthusiastic than the others. Souji was able to place Kanji's half-hearted grunt quite easily. As Marie collected the trainees, Souji bumped his fist against his junior's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just...doin' great."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."

Kanji glanced at the now-learning group, Marie having ignored the two in favor of starting the lesson. He quickly made sure that they weren't paying attention before seizing Souji by the arm and dragging him out of the war room. Souji couldn't help but whistle in surprise at the adjoining room; essentially a large dojo, with exercise machines neatly arranged in a line and a training ring sitting modestly in the middle. "Huh. How did I miss this?"

"You were busy in the infirmary, I dunno. But, hey, listen. I need your help here, Senpai."

Souji masked his concern with a slow nod, surprised but willing to help. "Alright, then. Shoot."

Kanji realized he was still holding Souji's arm, so quickly let go and muttered an apology, beginning to pace back and forth. After a minute of deliberation, he spoke again. "I'm havin' some...I dunno, thoughts? About this whole deal. You really think we can handle this? I mean, we have the Shadow guys' help now, and now that you're healed up we can manage more, but-"

Kanji groaned at scratched at the back of his head. "I'm not gonna lie, Senpai. He kicked my ass and burned it, too. Sorry if I'm worried that he can do worse."

"Naw. No, I get what you mean."

Souji put his hands on his hips and sighed, scanning the room before letting his sight fall on the ring. Slowly, he smiled and nudged his friend's arm. "Alright, c'mon. Fight me."  
"What."

"Okay, maybe fight's a bit strong. Spar with me."

"What?!"

"Kanji, I have to prove my point. And it would seem my words aren't enough to sway you."

He opened a cabinet and peeked inside, opening the one next to it and fishing some padded gloves and masks out. He tossed a pair to Kanji and fastened the mask to his head. "Er...Yosuke-senpai told me you guys beat the crap outta each other on the riverbank once."

"Oh yeah, good times. A good match'll let me show you how strong you are. A valuable part of the team, y'know."

Kanji half-heartedly raised his hands as Souji finished his own preparations, but he sighed and sat down on the floor instead. "Sorry, Senpai, but I don't really think I can spar with you right now."

Souji watched his friend for a moment, then grinned. To him, that meant that Kanji had grown much more since the last time they had a heart-to-heart. "Good."

"Sor-...wait, good?"

"Yeah, good." Souji moved to sit down next to Kanji, heaving a heavy sigh before speaking. "I've gotten beaten down more time than I can count on one hand. Usually, we have a good track record of avoiding that, y'know?"

"Could say that again."

"I guess we just got rusty over the past few years. I've made mistakes, put you all in danger, et cetera."

Kanji shook his head insistently. "No, no, don't put it like that."

"Huh?"

The junior shook his head again, gently punching Souji's shoulder as he made to speak again. "You're not the only who's lost their touch. That guy caught us all off guard somehow at some point. I don't wanna hear it. You're the one who almost died and left Naoto alone."

Souji stayed silent for a moment, nodding slowly as he digested Kanji's veiled accusation. "...She wouldn't have been alone. She still has you guys, and I'm sure she knows that."

"But don't you-"

"I do know now that I shouldn't have been so ready to die just yet. We're not done here."

Souji sighed. "Not by a long shot."

"Well...I'll stick with ya the rest of the way. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed again."

The two shared a fist-bump, but, as Souji made to leave, Kanji stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "See, now we can spar. Gotta see if you're up to snuff."

Souji chuckled, adjusted the gloves on his hands and nodded confidently. "Well, I've got time."

Marie shuffled her deck of cards as she watched the crew's progress. She felt a swell of pride at their progress, content to watch their success and stroke her ego when a loud crash blared out of the dojo next door. She started at the noise, hopping clumsily out of her chair and rushing over to throw the door open. What she saw was more puzzling than distressing. Souji was sprawled out on the mat of the training ring. Kanji didn't seem to be faring much better, draped by his arms over one of the corner posts. "W-what the heck were you two doing?!"

Souji looked to the door and smiled when he saw Naoto's exasperated look alongside Marie's. "We were having a chat."

"Talks usually don't involve fists and you flat on your ass."

"You'd be surprised. Right, Kanji?"

"You're damn skinny, how'd you hit so hard…?"

"See?"

Souji took a deep breath and gazed at Marie's nonplussed look coupled with Naoto', an expression that was torn between anger and amusement. "Alright...alright, I'm tapping out."

Souji grinned and made a show of patting the mat. "I feel like I just fought a bear…"

Marie sighed, crossing her arms before deciding against it and walking over to help Souji up. "C'mon, you have to…work with me here."

"I thought you were a god," Souji hefted himself up and patted Marie reassuringly on the shoulder. "Thanks."

"You look like you need some first aid. And some coffee, maybe."

"Eh, I'll just take five. There a couch anywhere?"

"Not gonna nap on a bed?"

Naoto decided then to speak up. "His logic is that if there is a couch available, he will use it."

"Thanks, dear. I'll be up in an hour."

Souji smiled and put his hand on her shoulder passing, wandering out of the dojo and, by extension, the war room. Marie turned to Naoto after a moment and asked, "Couches?"

"Yes. He's been spoiled on the couch he got from Croco Fur since he moved back to the city."

"...I thought they were a clothes store."

"Expanding horizons."

[- - -]

Nyx hummed gently to the air and wove a wisp of icy air around her hand. The sounds of creaking metal and clanking chains echoed through the air, bringing a smile to her stolen face as she looked up from her grim throne. "_Mmh. It appears you have finally awakened."_

A man, however generous to describe him as such, rose from the shadows, a skull-patterned mask fastened to his head by a mass of hanging chains. They rang out a hollow tone as he raised his head towards his subjugator, shaking it erratically as he fought against its influence. He roared, as pitiful a sound he could manage as Nyx hopped off of her seat and strode towards him. "_Good. Then we can begin."_

* * *

**This took longer than I thought. I burned through about two-thirds of the chapter and ran into a roadblock regarding the whole Kanji bit. **

**From what I can see, the story will go on for about two or three more chapters till the end. Maybe I'll include the epilogue into the ending, or I'll keep as a separate chapter. Kinda fuzzy right now. Might also do another bad end, but that would just be morbid.**

**Hehe.**

**Anyway, hope you like. Till next time.**


	25. Unyielding

**Been playing the new Blazblue, made a new friend, and am LOVING Susanoo. Not in that particular order, either. Or is it?!**

**Anywho.**

* * *

"Yeah, I'll come home soon. Sorry I worried you."

"_I know you can take care of yourself, but you just disappeared without even leaving a note. Nanako was worried sick…"_

"I can talk to her for a bit, if you want."

"_Would be nice. Here, I'll put her on….Big Bro, where'd you go?!"_

"Sorry, Nanako, I-"

_Bzzt~._

Souji paused when he heard the odd sound, pulling the phone from his ear when he heard his phone releasing a dull beep that signalled he had lost service. "What the…"

He tried to text anyone in his contact list, biting his lip gently as he was met with no success. Undaunted by the setback, he pocketed his phone and ran towards the staircase, oblivious to the coffin that was sitting where the receptionist of the Kirijo building usually greeted him with a smile and wave. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, bursting into the next floor hallway as the lights flickered oddly. He found Akihiko and Shinjiro conversing quietly about something, but they waved him over as soon as his footstep echoed through the hall. "What's going on?"

"I wish I could tell you it's just a power outage, but, er...don't look outside. Damn coffins are everywhere, just like…"

The boxer fell into a contemplative silence as Shinjiro remarked grimly, "Just like the Dark Hour. It ain't even close to midnight."

"Where's Mitsuru-san?"

"Last I heard, she was heading down to the war room to check in with Fuuka about something."

"Thanks. If you find any of the others, let them know we need to be ready for a fight."

The power troubles put the elevator out of commission, so Souji was forced to run up the ascending staircase until he reached Mitsuru's office. Before he could put hand to doorknob, the door swung open to reveal Mitsuru and Aigis, clad in a formal-looking business suit and a combat harness, respectively. "Mitsuru-san."

"Souji-san. I'm glad you were on your way, saves the trouble of finding you. Walk with me."

"Sure thing."

He stepped aside for the two to walk out, following close behind as Mitsuru spoke again. "I truly hoped I wouldn't witness this event ever again. Perhaps...I was foolish to hope."

"This is that Dark Hour you've told me about?"

"I believe so. The only exception is that Tartarus has not appeared yet….Somehow, that's more worrying."

"Seems so. There's some inconsistencies here that are as intriguing as they're dangerous. If people outside the building have already been encased in the same coffins, then the absence of Tartarus means that shadows may be on the loose."

"Indeed. We cannot allow the people to come to harm, especially in their vulnerable state."

"What do you propose we do?"

"Stay away from usually populated areas, first of all. Secondly, we're going to draw as much attention to us as we can manage."

"Nyx is sure to take notice."

Mitsuru stopped and looked at Souji grimly, nodding. "That's what I'm counting on."

Souji grinned, nodding eagerly and cracking his knuckles. "Alright, then. Liking this plan."

She managed a small smile at his cheer, throwing open the door to the war room where, to Souji's surprise, everyone was there. Even Sho. Familiar instinct allowed Souji to quickly note where each of his friends were, each gearing or hyping themselves up in some way or another. Finally, he caught sight of Naoto, fumbling with what looked like a knife sheath for her shoulder holster. "We're preparing ourselves for what is likely the final battle, for better or worse. We have numerous items that are small enough to carry along that would help, and...Naoto-kun, I believe that you in particular will appreciate this."

The detective looked up from her holster quizzically as Mitsuru pressed a button under one of the tables. The long wall along Naoto's workbench and its adjacent tables turned with a light creak, revealing something straight out of an action movie; a wall lined with all sorts of arms, knives, guns, the like. Naoto, after giving Mitsuru a quick glance for permission, picked up one of the shotguns hanging on the wall and hefted it in her hand, testing its weight and inspecting the build. Souji saw her lips twitch, and, for a moment, he was worried she was going to start cuddling with the cold metal firearm. His suspicions were only exacerbated when she murmured, "I think I'm in love."

"...You're not gonna question why they have military grade gear just lying around?"

"In a situation such as this? Ah, heavy armaments are necessary."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't break anything."

He left Naoto to her business, turning to face Mitsuru who, for whatever reason, had a small smile on her face as she regarded him. "Ah, Souji-san, I forgot to mention...Junpei."

"Got it."

The capped crusader hauled something out of one of the lockers, effectively bringing a smile to Souji's face when he saw what it was. "We retrieved this for you shortly after your...incident. I commissioned Kikuno-san to have it restored for you."

The maid in question decided to arrive at that time, with Yukari Takeba in tow. Souji blinked when he saw the welding goggles and smattering of dark stains on Kikuno's clothes; she had clearly been doing work in her maid uniform, but more along the lines of engineering rather than...anything else. "What...huh?"

Kikuno took off the goggles, offering Souji a bow and a serene little smile. "Hello, Souji-san. I apologize for my appearance, but I was told to have your weapon ready as quickly as possible by Mitsuru-chan."

"What?"

"Mitsuru-san."

He gave her a quizzical look but nodded slowly, looking over the Totsuka blade once more. The blade itself had been polished to a mirror sheen, almost audibly sharp if the hum it made when he rolled his wrist in a circle was any indication. It felt more suited to his hand, the cord of the handle having been replaced with cool, but comfortable, wire. It felt new. It felt...perfect. "Well, ain't that somethin'."

Souji nodded more confidently, hefting the weapon over his shoulder and tightening the leather sheath diagonally across his torso. He collected his katana and tied to cord of the weapon to his belt, turning to face Kikuno and Mitsuru again with a confident grin. "Well, I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. Briefing should be brief, but our roles will be clearly defined."

"Counting on it."

[- - -]

"Everyone, this is it."

The three words defined what would come, whether the long night would end in victory or death to the world. Despite the tension in the air, or perhaps in defiance of it, Souji grinned. "I would give this little speech, but we all know I'm terrible at those." The light chorus of chuckles and affirmations let Souji know he moved the conversation in the right direction. " In lieu of that, I'll cut to the chase. If the conditions outside are any indication, Nyx has thrown the gauntlet. We're not going into the TV, not this time. She's bringing the fight to us, so we're gonna get a head start. In that regard, we're essentially splitting into two teams."

"One team is going to be much smaller than the other. Maybe a squad of three or so. Said three are going to Inaba, posthaste. Aside from...personal reasons that I would appreciate assistance with, there is one person in particular that needs to be protected: Marie."

Yosuke raised his hand. "I thought she was hanging around here already? Along with that nose guy and the elevator attendants."

Souji nodded firmly. "She's-"

"I'm right here."

Marie appeared on the table behind Souji, casually leaning back with her hands on the surface and one leg crossed over the other. Souji acknowledged her abrupt arrival with a nod before continuing. "Anyway-"

"We're going to Inaba because the shrine there needs protecting. That, and...well, Souji asked me to check on his uncle and Nanako-chan."

"If there are civilians in general-"

"Civilians?"

Souji sighed. "If they've been in contact with me, it's possible they're unaffected by the whole coffin schtick. Happy?"

Finally, Marie smiled. "Yep. You finally cleared that up."

Souji did a slow double-take before hesitantly inquiring. "...That was confusing?"

"Yes."

"Kinda, yeah."

"A bit."

"You tend to do that."

"Okay, okay," Souji sighed again and scratched the back of his head. "Fine. Them's the breaks in regards to the Inaba situation. Marie told me that if the town falls, so does she. And I'm not about to have that happen. Not again."

Unbeknownst to him, Marie smiled happily at that, materializing a card in her hand and twirling it between her fingers. "Aside from that, we need everyone who's fighting fit to be on the frontlines. I've been told by Mitsuru-san that Tartarus hasn't appeared yet, if at all; another key difference in this Dark Hour."

Rather than show any sign of worry, he shrugged. "Less trouble for us. Familiar streets, all that."

After giving the room one last scan, he could easily read the conviction on each and every member's faces. Even Sho. "We know our roles, more or less. This night isn't about to end anytime soon, so let's make sure we're good and ready."

"Forgive me for saying this, but do not dare forget about us."

Souji looked up from his makeshift podium and bit back an appropriate noise of surprise. Margaret, Theodore, and Elizabeth had appeared at the doorway, Igor standing silently behind them as Souji slowly nodded in recognition. "I thought you folk weren't the type to get involved."

"You would be right. But this is personal."

Elizabeth frowned slightly. "My brother has returned and none of you had the decency to call me."

Souji chose not to address that, for fear of exploding. "Well, your help is appreciated. Theodore, if you wouldn't mind accompanying the Inaba team?"

Theo bowed, seemingly eager to offer his help. "Wherever I am required. As long as my friend is freed from that...that Seal."

"No. I will go to Inaba in his stead." Margaret stepped forward and patted Theo's shoulder before fixing Souji with a steady stare. "I may not live in the town itself, but I understand its meaning to you. Please, grant me this request."

Souji smiled. It would seem that their "personal reasons" were just. "Fine by me. Thank you."

* * *

**This was going to be longer, but extending it would've bled into the actual beginning of the big battle. As such, I felt this was as good a place as any to cut off. ****Depending on the length of the following chapter, or if it works better in a manner of style, I might do something similar. But hey, we're almost at the end!**

**It's been a while since the last update, so that also sorta influenced my thought process for ending the chapter here. If it's any consolation if you're disappointed, that means that the next chapter already has a healthy chunk of progress sunk into it.**

**UNTIL THEN. Gonna get crackin' on that when I have some time, so see ya.**


	26. Rebelling Against the End

**SO, FF15 has a quest titled "Into the Fray", hmm?**

**I ain't even mad. What if people look it up, find **_**my **_**story instead? HAH.**

**Seriously, though. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

[- Iwatodai_Paulownia Mall -]

"It just occured to me."

"_Hm?"_

Souji sighed and adjusted his jacket, his two now-signature weapons shuffling against him. If the weight of both bothered him at all, he didn't show it. "This seems like a terrible plan that can very easily backfire."

"_I figured I would take a page out of your book."_

"Yeah, this sounds pretty me."

"_In all seriousness, we're out of time and we need to put an end to this quickly. The longer we linger, the more damage that can be done by Nyx."_

"And I'm guessing if we take too long…?"

"_Then her plans will come to fruition, and the Fall with be successful this time."_

"...Neat. Guess we better get moving."

"_Indeed."_

Souji kept his swords sheathed, glancing at Naoto when he heard the telltale whir of her revolver cylinder spinning. She smiled and gave him a polite duck of her head to signal she was ready. He returned it and looked around to assure himself of the team's preparation.

Labrys, excited as she was, was cradling her axe to her as if it were a teddy bear, leaving Souji to wonder just why until he noticed that the large, double-headed blade was now repaired and polished to a mirror sheen. Sho was leaning against a wall, watching her with an expression torn between amusement and confusion at the sight of Labrys' antics. The two exchanged a brief look, ending with Sho giving him a firm nod before looking down and scowling to himself. Theo was standing off to the side, hands clasped neatly behind his back and standing tall; in stark contrast was Elizabeth, lounging on a bench with one leg crossed over the other. She was scanning something with great interest in the Persona Compendium, but Souji failed to tell what it was.

"Kanji?"

The man in question looked up from where he was sitting, his Plate lying next to him and gleaming softly. Kikuno had insisted on installing a handle of sorts on the inner lining, such that the massive slab was now more like a shield. "Yeah?"

"This might be it for us."

"Eh. We've fought bigger."

Souji chuckled and nodded agreeably. "That we have. You ready?"

"Hell yeah. Ready whenever you are."

Souji closed his eyes and reached down to touch Naoto's hand. The detective took the gesture in stride, taking his hand and lacing their fingers; she squeezed softly in an act of reassurance. Souji rested his head on the wall of the Kirijo building and smiled softly before saying, "Well, Mitsuru-san, we're about ready to go. Fuuka-san, is everything all right on your end?"

"_Yes, I think so. Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro-senpai have given the all clear. A-are you sure you want to leave all three of them to defend me?"_

"That I am. Your safety is key to keeping our situational awareness in check. Aside from that, I'd rather the four of you stick together in case something happens."

"_Well, for what it's worth, I appreciate your concern."_

"Mhm. Well, everyone, let's mosey."

Sho scoffed and, upon Souji turning to raise a quizzical eyebrow, smirked. "Nerd."

[- 3 Hours Earlier_Kirijo HQ -]

"This should be right. Team sizes are split as evenly as we can afford in this situation."

Souji pressed the cap back onto the marker he was writing with and stepped away so all could see the arrangements.

_Iwatodai_

_Ground: Souji, Naoto, Kanji, Labrys, Sho, Theodore, Elizabeth_

_HQ: Mitsuru, Shinjiro, Akihiko, Fuuka_

_Inaba_

_Ground: Yosuke, Chie, Teddie, Yukiko, Junpei, Yukari, Margaret_

_Support: Rise, Kikuno_

"Wait."

Souji identified the voice as Sho's and nodded in the appropriate direction. "Why am I after Labrys?"

Inwardly smirking, Souji glanced at the board and snapped his fingers. "Ah, you're right. Here, let me fix that."

He quickly wiped Sho's name from the board and wrote it in again, leaving the lineup as:

_Ground: Souji, Naoto, Kanji, Labrys, Theodore, Elizabeth, Sho_

"Better?"

"HEY!"

[- Present_Inaba -]

"We're here. Please prepare for a quick landing."

Kikuno's warning was met with a chorus of acknowledgement. Yosuke leaned against the window of the helicopter and sighed, disheartened by the blanket of dark covering his town. "Well, that's encouraging."

"Chin up! It's kinda romantic."

Chie bounced up next to him and grinned, but he could tell that the sentiment was frail and she was trying to cheer him up. "Yeah, endless night, no stars in the sky...I can feel the sparks."

"Right?"

He watched his team move forward, each either conferring or bickering in their own way, and reached down to carefully grab Chie's arm. She looked back at him, a gentle smile on her face that compelled Yosuke to let go after mimicking the expression. Before following after them, he looked up at the sky and remembered the last time he had spoken with Souji.

_Souji looked up from the bottle of soda he had taken from the kitchen when he heard familiar footsteps. "Figured I'd find you here, looking out the front door of a gloomy office building."_

"_I get the feeling you were just wandering. That's cool, though. Here, got you one, too."_

_Souji lifted another bottle by the base and offered it to his longtime friend, scooting over so Yosuke could sit next to where he was leaning on the wall. "Thanks. You all ready to go?"_

"_Hope so. How's your team looking?"_

"_We'll manage. Marie can hold her own, of course, but we'll be there for her."_

"_Good. Good…"_

_Souji sighed, masking it by drinking deeply from his bottle. Yosuke still picked up on the sign, smirking and nursing the fizzy drink. "You're worried, huh."_

"_...I'm not feeling too hot about our odds."_

"_You got me there. But, hey. We've made it this far."_

_Souji smirked and raised his bottle. "That we have. Cheers, brother."_

"_Cheers."_

_Yosuke bumped his bottle to Souji's , the two taking a long drink at the same time. _

"Hey, now's not the time for daydreaming. Let's go, boss."

Marie bumped his shoulder and inclined her head in the shrine's general direction; contrary to her blunt words, she offered him an encouraging little smile and a twinkle in her eye that plainly said she trusted his ability. Yosuke smiled and adjusted his headphones, giving his fingers a little exercise by skillfully twirling his daggers before setting off with much more confidence in his step.

[- Somewhere..._Inaba -]

A groan echoed throughout the empty halls of the prison, shattering the oppressive silence polluting the air. The sole resident of the now-coffin-infested building sat up, taking a peek into the hallway and grinning. "So. Whole town's gone to shit again, huh?"

Fingers ran through short brown hair as the man sighed and stepped out of his cell. "Well, I'm not gettin' anything done just sitting around! May as well go stretch the old legs."

He stopped at the door and leaned back to peek into the guard office, speaking to the coffin sitting within. "You don't mind, do ya?"

He let the silence hang briefly before snickering and stepping outside. "Didn't think so. Thanks, buddy!"

The man adjusted the collar of his prison jumpsuit and yawned, idly sighing as he looked around. "I swear, this happens every damn other damn year…"

While he wasn't exactly expecting anyone to hear him, his cupped his hands and shouted, "Yo, Souji-kun! The hell are you doin' this time?!"

His self-described dulcet tones had echoed more than he figured, evident in the sound of slime running along the floor. The masks were even more of a giveaway of what was approaching, if the runny tar was no indication. The hapless prisoner scratched the back of his head sheepishly, sighing and looking around to assess the threat. "Ehehe...maybe that wasn't the best idea. Oh well."

Adachi smiled, his eyes briefly gleaming yellow as the sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the air. A blood-red Persona rose up behind him, a low growl flowing out of its mask as it hefted a spear twice as tall who called him. "Let's get this started off right. Mangle them."

[- Iwatodai_Kirijo HQ -]

Akihiko was sent flying back by a Gigas' fist, landing hard on his back but transferring the force into a backward roll. He punched the ground of the office and glowered at the towering shadow as he heard Fuuka cry out, "Akihiko-senpai!"

"Stay focused! I'm fine!"

Fuuka hesitated from behind Juno's barrier, her mind unconsciously compelling her Persona to reach towards the boxer and envelop him in a warm healing spell. Akihiko took the feeling in stride, dashing low and throwing himself into a short hop. He swung his arm downwards in a powerful smash that shattered the Gigas' knee. He stopped the momentum gained from the jump by burying his fist into its gut. As it keeled over, Akihiko ducked back, a fist wound tight against his side, before lunging forward and utterly destroying the shadow's head with a powerful hook. Before he could smirk victoriously, he felt himself being yanked back by the collar of his suit. "Thank you, Shinjiro."

"Mhm."

Akihiko failed to suppress a scoff from hearing the exchange between his two friends, neatly turning his body to transfer his force into a corkscrew that blew a Hablerie a few feet away. Shinjiro stepped in front of his back and reached an arm forward to block a charging Beetle, smashing its horn with his axe and impaling it with the broken shard. He booted it away and ducked back to allow Mitsuru to dash forward, her rapier weaving around an approaching Dancer's attempt to dodge around them. She called Artemisia to freeze it, lunging forward in a lightning fast stab. The ice shattered in a fine, shining cloud of dust, as did the shadow. In the brief respite, the three gathered in front of Fuuka's barrier, surrounding their junior in a protective triad. "Just like old times, huh?"

Shinjiro scoffed at Akihiko's remark and shook his head. "Hm. Says something 'bout your memories if this shit's your idea of a good time."

"I'm having fun."

"No, you're not….And don't humor him."

Fuuka smiled briefly and closed her eyes, focusing a bit of her energy to cast Marakukaja on the three. They received the spell and shared a confident smile before charging back into the oncoming onslaught.

[- Iwatodai_Naganaki Shrine -]

Souji dragged the Totsuka off his back and slammed it into the ground, using it as a lever to smash the pommel down on the shadow in front of him. He hauled it out of where it was buried and swung it wide in a cyclone before hefting it back onto its sheath. Naoto ducked in to defend him, bashing a Magus with her shotgun's stock and blowing it away with a point-blank blast. Souji urged her to stand back-to-back, calling Fenrir to dive into the crowd and thin out the numbers. Satisfied a few seconds later, he called it back to him and patted its face affectionately. "Go, help Kanji out."

The wolf blinked and seemed to nod, brushing by him and Naoto before disappearing. Kanji was holding his own, bashing attacker after attacker with his makeshift shield with ever-growing vigor. He clumsily ducked under a Minotaur's headbutt, throwing his arm out in a blind backhand. Takeji Zaiten appeared behind him, cherry blossom petal scattering about as it struck a pose. Kanji's fist impacted with the Minotaur as the spell took effect, blasting it back and dizzying all the surrounding him. He used the fallen shadow as a stepping stone to jump and smash its head with his Plate. A Hand shadow shot towards him as he stood up, intent on strangling him, but Fenrir tackled it out of the air and smashed it underpaw. "Thanks, uh...Wolfie."

Fenrir stared at him momentarily, bumping its forehead against him and sending him a step back.

Naoto reached down to reload her shotgun, gasping in surprise when she felt a Fuzz shadow's handcuffs clamp down on her wrist, pulling her to the ground as it yanked its arm back. She felt her arm twist at an awkward angle as it loomed over her, her mind flooding with pain as she tried to aim her revolver at it properly. When she realized this was a poor idea, she eyed the key sitting in its stomach hole. Planting a foot against its face, she ducked to the side as it tried to shoot her in the head with its pistol. She drew her foot back and kicked it hard, snatching the key out of its stomach and fumbling with the cuffs' lock. Upon hearing a dull click, she kicked upwards again and transferred the momentum into a backwards roll. Naoto quickly picked up her revolver and riddled the shadow with bullets before it could try anything similar.

The haggard detective sighed, dropping to her knees and squeezing her sore arm. She didn't hear the approaching Knight until it was behind her, glancing back and cursing softly. All she could do was raise her uninjured hand and call Yamato to protect her; this was still going to hurt.

Souji dove into the chaos, drawing both the Totsuka and his katana in desperation. He confronted the towering Knight, poised to cleave him in two with its greatsword. Seeing this, he slashed its face with the heavier blade hard enough to force it to turn, burying his katana in its back as it did so. He quickly pivoted and grasped his greatsword with both hands and swung again at its head, this time decapitating it completely. He sheathed the weapon before retrieving his katana and doing the same. Souji turned, casting Diarahan on Naoto when he saw he nursing her arm gingerly. "Sorry I took so long. You okay?"

"I'm okay. Let's catch up with the others."

Theo neatly stepped around a Musha's katana, grabbing its helmet and slamming it into the floor. He tossed it upwards as easily as a ragdoll and hopped, kicking upwards and sending the hapless shadow into a crowd of oncoming ones. Elizabeth quickly decimated the lot with a call to Thanatos, the cloaked Persona roaring and laying waste with its coffin chain and serrated sword. The black, inky substance the shadows consisted of coated its morbid uniform and weapons, and it gave a final, triumphant screech to the blood-red sky before it disappeared. Theo grimaced and wiped some of the ooze off his sleeve. "So unrefined…"

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

Theo quickly ducked in front of Elizabeth, raising his knee to block a powerful punch from a Gigas and countering with a flurry of kicks. He topped off the fluid movement with an upwards axe kick that easily destroyed the beast, landing neatly on his feet and standing tall in his neutral stance. He noticed Souji, Naoto, and Kanji approaching, nodding politely and backhanding a Seeker. "There you are. I believe we have almost arrived at Nyx's location."

"I see. Would you mind holding the fort here?"

"Of course, please proceed."

Souji nodded to Naoto, patting Kanji's shoulder in passing as the three headed further into the battle.

[- Inaba_Shopping District -]

"Marie-san, duck!"

Yosuke skirted around the resident goddess, throwing his knives at a Hand rearing back to strike and pinning it to the wall. The Emperor that called them was swiftly punted into the air and finished off by Yukari's sniping. "We're almost at the shrine, just keep moving-"

Yosuke had to raise his hand to protect his face from a sudden explosion of dust, calling his Persona to disperse it more quickly. "Hey! I was going for a whole dramatic reveal schtick there!"

"That voice…"

_Aw, hell. Not __**this **__guy again…_

_"Did I hear that right? Is that- ?!"_

The dust cleared, revealing Tohru Adachi sitting atop the pile of shadow mask fragments. "Heyo. Took you guys long enough to get here."

"Aw, Junes steak Christmas cake…"

"...Did you just-...Are you serious right now?"

Chie smacked the back of Yosuke's head for his troubles, content to continue if it weren't for Adachi laughing to the sky. He jumped down from the pile, his feet kicking up a small cloud as he landed. "I see you guys haven't changed much."

"I see they finally got your ass an actual prison uniform."

Adachi chuckled and turned around, pretending to inspect the material of the jumpsuit. "Yeah, I did. I think it's a good look! Wait...does it make my butt look big?"

_"Yeah, it looks like a hot air balloon-"_

"Rise-chan, down. What are you doing here?"

"Me? I'm just takin' a walk around town. It's gotten much more lively since the last time I was out and about. It's like a big ol' block party!"

_"The only party is the one I'm throwing when they toss you back in-"_

"Rise-chan, no."

Adachi shrugged and gestured around, his footsteps punctuating the silence that threatened to fall. "Why are you guys being so careful with the place? Look, it's fun!" To prove his point, Adachi had Magatsu Izanagi crush the Shiroku store under its fist. The former detective simply crossed his arms and grinned as his Persona went to town, hacking away at the now-ruined building with spear, fists, and stilettos. The cacophony was so catastrophic that, when the dust cleared, there was only rubble, wood splinters, and an enraged, bloodthirsty Persona.

Yosuke pointed a knife at him, anger evident in his tone as he ground out, "The hell did you do that for?! We're trying to make sure the town comes out of this intact, dammit!"

_"Yeah! He's gonna get debris in Grandma's tofu!"_

"...Rise-chan, he can't even hear you."

Adachi simply shrugged again and sighed airily. "This is an opportunity. Waste not, want not, Yosuke-kun."

"I believe the buffoon has a point he wishes to make."

Margaret frowned slightly, picking up a chunk of debris from the store and crushing it in her hand. Rather than explain anything, the gesture only seemed to frighten Yosuke. Adachi, however, grinned. "Oh?"

He stepped forward and crossed his arms behind his back, standing up straight as if awaiting instruction. "And what might that be?"

Margaret blinked. There was something about the cockiness of the brunette that drew inevitable parallels to Souji. Instead of dwelling on it, she answered. "This "Dark Hour", as you call it, is a time isolated from that of a standard day. Perhaps he is implying that wanton destruction yields no consequence."

Yosuke, rather understandably, was skeptical. "Are you sure about that?"

Margaret simply offered a ghost of a smile and cocked her head slightly. "Mostly. Does this bother you?"

"No, not really. I'm just gonna...keep being careful."

Yukari perked up, whirling around and levelling her bow at an unseen threat. "Well, keep doing that...we have company."

Junpei grinned and tapped his bat against her shoulder. "Chin up, Yuka-tan! This party's just getting started!"

The archer sighed, drawing back the string and charging a magic arrow. "Yeaaah, that's what I'm worried about."

She let the arrow fly, silently signifying the beginning of their new battle.

[- Iwatodai_? -]

"Kanji-kun!"

"I gotcha, keep going! Follow Senpai!"

Kanji ducked and placed his Plate on his back, allowing Naoto to jump up and slide across, blowing the shadows back with a shotgun blast and quickly running after Souji. She chanced a look back and witnessed Kanji hefting the Plate up and crushing a shadow, aiming over her shoulder and sniping one that was gearing up to attack his vulnerable back. A large hole was blown in its form from the bullet, allowing Kanji the swing his Plate back around himself. He used the momentum to carry the heavy armament against an approaching crowd, sending them flying or flattening them outright with a rousing roar. Theo jumped over him, diving down foot-first and smashing clean through a Machine shadow. As its corpse threatened to fall on him, he thrust a palm upwards and blew the metal hunk away.

Elizabeth was floating throughout the area as if it were a flower garden, playfully lobbing spells here and there as Thanatos cleaned up the messes she left behind. "They'll be fine. Let's keep it moving."

"Right."

The duo ran until there was nowhere left to go, pushing through an eerie door and stumbling into a large room that belied the size of the actual building. "Wait. Something is wrong."

Souji put an arm in front of Naoto when he saw someone lying in the exact middle of the room. "Stay back."

"I-"

"Before you start, I need you to stay behind and cover for me in case things go south. Look,"

He pointed at Dao's kneeling form. One of his hands was clutching his glaive, now reduced to a broken shard of metal with an overly long handle. "Dunno about you, but that doesn't look too promising."

At the sound of Souji's voice, Dao's hands planted firmly against the ground as he pushed himself to his knees, his head trembling before he reared back with a roar that caused the room to tremble slightly. His voice was layered with a tone both unnatural and foreign sounding. He headbutted the floor fiercely before rising and focusing on Souji. Souji slowly drew his katana and held it before him, digging his feet into the earth as Dao lurched forward. The fog in the room intensified as Dao leaned back, the surroundings quickly wiping him from view. "...Well, shit."

"Souji-kun!"

Souji heard something rush by him, pivoting around and raising the katana to block. "Stay back!"

He heard a rush of air behind him, quickly holding the katana behind his back. His prediction was rewarded by the distinct clang of one blade upon another, and he wrenched his arm forward to send Dao over him. As he sailed over Souji, he kicked out and hit Souji in the chest, sending him staggering back a few steps.

Dao landed on all fours, charging forward and bodily throwing his broken blade at Souji. As he sidestepped the makeshift throwing knife, Dao lunged and bashed Souji's upraised arm with his own, winding it back quickly enough for another jab before he pivoted. He raised his leg and kneed Souji in the side, aiming another at his head as he doubled over in pain. Souji forced an arm out and was able to clip Dao's side, but he was able to recover quickly enough to grab the arm and use torque to force Souji into a crouch.

Souji groaned in pain and tried to pull his arm free, but was only met with a cruel push against his shoulder. Dao looked at the arm he had locked and hissed softly, raising his other hand and curling it into a sort of claw. Before he could bring it down and effectively break Souji's arm at the elbow, a shot rang out and blasted Dao away from him. The fog lightened slightly, just enough for Souji to see the trail of Naoto's bullet from where she had fired. Dao seized his shoulder and grunted angrily, letting fog swirl around it as he ducked low to the floor and clawed at Souji's legs. He responded by quickly raising his foot and stomping down, but Dao wove around and tripped Souji with a quick swipe of his leg. As Souji fell, Dao jumped to his feet and followed through his descent with a foot to his back. Dao ground his heel into Souji's spine, earning a sharp shout of pain from his prey, jumping back when Naoto fired a volley of bullets at him. "_There is only two of you?"_

"Nyx…"

Souji planted the point of his katana in the ground to lever himself up, witnessing Dao wrench his head in the direction of the voice and growl lowly. "_I have to admit, I was worried that all of you were going to attack at once."_

"...I figured gods would be more well-spoken than...whatever _this _is."

Souji scoffed, pointing his katana to where the soul thief was slowly walking towards them. She smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear, shrugging simply at Souji's question. "_What can I say? The girl had her own personality. I suppose you can say it has a...bleeding effect."_

There was something behind Nyx's voice that made it sound just unnatural enough to set her apart from her template. "It's creepy."

"_It's fitting. After all, what could be more poetic that using the hero who saved the world as my vessel?"_

"Is this some sort of vendetta against Arisato-san?"

"_Vendetta…?" _Nyx grimaced and shook her head, a smile easily returning her face as she chirped, "_You couldn't be further off! Minako Arisato is a grand example of humanity. She was like a sister to me."_

"And how did you thank her? Destroying her world? Stealing her very soul? Sounds like some twisted love to me."

Souji ground out the words and tightened the grip he had on his katana as he glared at Nyx. The goddess simply smiled and closed her eyes serenely. "_Ah, love. That sums it up so perfectly...See, I wish to take her soul for my own, not simply because it would be poetic justice...but because it would mean that we are together forever."_

She chuckled, letting some of her hair fall over her eyes as Dao looked on quizzically. Her shoulders began to shake unnaturally, a hand reaching up to cover her face as...something overtook her voice. Nyx brushed some off the hair forcefully enough to show Souji her eyes, a manic contrast to the normal calm she conveyed. Her voice rose and lowered sporadically as she muttered something under her breath. "_She accepted me before...Now, she will be mine."_

"What?"

Nyx giggled again and straightened up. Instead of indulging Souji's confusion, she simply nodded to Dao. "_...Dao has developed exceptional control over the fog. So much so that he can even manipulate what you've been breathing this whole time."_

Dao slowly raised a hand and lurched forward unnaturally, his head cocking to the side as fog began to swirl around his curled fingers. Suddenly, Souji and Naoto felt an immense pressure bear down on their shoulders as the room's atmosphere threatened to solidify and crush them both. Souji gritted his teeth and slammed his katana point into the ground to remain on his feet, but Naoto felt the strength in her firing arm drain until she was forced to drop to one knee. "_Dao? Continue."_

Her puppet tightened his hand into a fist, drawing it closer to his chest as the fog around his hand condensed into a dangerously condensed ball. Souji felt his chest seize, as if the very air in his lungs was given physical form. He turned his head, seeing Naoto drop her gun and clutch a hand to her chest as she struggled to breathe. Her pain galvanized Souji into action; he levered his katana out of the earth and staggered towards Dao. His target was focused now almost entirely on torturing Naoto, giving Souji some miniscule freedom from the oppressive air. He raised his katana, intent on attacking either Dao or the ball of fog resting in his palm. Before he could decide, or even before he made it close enough to try, the pressure rooted him to the spot. Nyx smiled down at him, resting her cheek on her fist as she watched him glare at her. "_That's far enough."_

Souji's legs buckled, and he dropped his katana as he finally fell, the last of the air in his lungs leaving him as he barely managed to grind out a curse. "Damn…"

Just before darkness claimed his mind, the room cleared itself of fog as Dao crushed the ball in his hand. Its chaotic energy burst violently, almost blowing his arm off and leaving it wreathed in smoke. His arms fell limply to his side as he simply stared at Souji struggle to sit up, slowly turning his gaze to Naoto as she took in some much-needed breath. He looked back at Souji, cocking his head at the bewildered look on his face. "_Dao? What are you doing?"_

He said nothing, slowly raising his hand and placing it on the mask he was being forced to wear. His fingers slowly explored its smooth surface, eventually getting a grip on the border of the chin. He gave it a light tug before he winced and mechanically snapped back into a fighting stance. "_Kill him. Now."_

The message had already been delivered as Souji found the strength to stand again, using his katana to keep himself balanced as he thought of his next strategy. Dao rushed Souji with one arm thrust behind him, ready to claw down onto Souji's head. Just as he swung at him, Souji ducked around the punch quickly downed him with a swift elbow to the face and by kicking his legs out. Souji yanked Dao up with the arm around his neck, raising his sword arm and bashing it as hard as he could against the chains fastened to his head. "Take that damn thing off!"

The metal links barked out a loud ring and seemed to crack slightly, but they still held fast. He was thrown off quickly afterward, but he rolled through the impact and raised his sword just in time to block Dao's overhead axe kick. The blade bit into Dao's ankle as he twisted and kicked the katana straight out of Souji's already trembling hands. It spun through the air and clattered a few meters away, leaving Souji with no weapon against the enraged Dao. He opened a palm to intercept Dao's fist, pushing it aside and quickly balling it into a fist to sock him and send him staggering with a powerful haymaker. Dao recovered quickly, kicking forward at him and seizing hold of Souji by his collar. "Naoto! The mask needs to go!"

"On it!"

Souji twisted his torso to force Dao's hand away from him, but Dao used the given momentum to jump and kick Souji's head. The force of it wrenched him to the side, but Dao was given no opportunity to continue when a reticle-shaped glyph appeared at his feet, giving Souji valuable time to shake the stars out of his eyes. It glowed brightly momentarily before spreading around him in a circular motion. He stared at the trap briefly before snapping his head to look at Naoto, disappearing in a puff of fog as soon as he focused on her. He reappeared with his hand outstretched and a veil of darkness clawing at her face, but Souji was able to stop his attack by jumping on his back and sending them both to the floor. He was quickly thrown off, but the two faced each other down with Naoto in the clear.

Dao looked around and plucked his dagger off the floor, turning to stare at Souji as he ducked into a stance. Souji took the silent offer and retrieved his katana, dropping Totsuka carefully to curb the growing strain on his back. He took his own stance, letting his dominant arm rest behind him as he stood tall. He snuck a quick glance at Naoto, relaying the message to let him settle his personal battles. Naoto shot him a glare, but complied, reluctantly holstering her revolver and sitting down. It was easy to assume that, aside from the obvious underlying rivalry, it would be difficult to fire on Dao without risk of hitting Souji.

He smiled briefly before focusing again on Dao. Raising his katana level with his chest, he watched as Dao twirled his knife into an underhanded grip and charged forward. Souji responded in kind, meeting him in the middle and locking their blades together. Sparks flew from the grinding metal, the two pivoting around each other in their attempt to strike. Dao affirmed his grip with one hand, using the other to clamp down on Souji's sword arm. His knee rammed into Souji's side and forced him to his knees. Dao grabbed his head with both hands and wound his leg back to knee him in the face, but Souji kicked out and scored a hit on his shin. He stumbled back as Souji found his footing, kicking his katana away and twirling his knife.

A quick, lunging stab missed as Souji ducked around the strike, grabbing his arm and sneaking his fist under it to deck the mask's chin. Dao swung at him with his other hand, but Souji ducked under it and punched his side, following it up with a quick hook and a swift uppercut. He hopped back and turned, kicking Dao hard in the stomach and forcing him to double over. "Sorry," Souji grabbed his head and drew his leg back. "Might sting a bit."

His knee crashed into the mask, sending Dao sprawling back as Souji stumbled onto one leg, blackened shards embedded in his knee. He called Ishtar to quickly remove them and heal the wound, shaking his leg as Dao stood. The mask was broken, but still fastened to Dao's head. One of Dao's piercing yellow eyes gazed out from the ruined mask, dull from Nyx's control but clear evidence of his identity. The damage seemed to bring some clarity to his mind as well, as he shook his arms out and rolled his neck, blinking his free eye and narrowing it slightly as he slouched into a stance, one fist in front of his face and the other dangling slightly, ready to counter. Souji rubbed his knuckles, eyeing his katana that was still lying a good distance away. Dao was sharp enough to know if he was going for it. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh...fine, then."

Nyx smiled, eager to see the ensuing bloodbath. "_Show me what you can do. What __**she **__would have done."_

Dao lunged forward, shoulder checking Souji and landing a series of swift punches to his chest. He clawed upward at his face, but Souji managed to shove him away and circle so that he was closer to his katana. _Damn. Now that he's a little less nuts, his style's way more dangerous._

Souji ducked in, feinting a punch but instead kicking at Dao's leg. The strike tripped him enough for Souji to grab his tattered collar, kneeing him onto his back again. Dao stared at him from where he was lying, suddenly throwing a fireball in his direction. _...Crap._

Souji dove for his katana, swerving around a pillar of fire rising from where he was standing. He hissed in pain as a small flame bit at his leg, hastily snuffing it out and ducking under a fireball. Dao punched the ground, cracking it at the point of impact as fire rose around him. He dashed forward, swiping at Souji with flames trailing behind his fist. He followed through into series of kicks, each throwing fire liberally enough to prevent Souji from closing in. His broken knife reappeared in his hand, warping towards Souji and reappearing with his weapon poised for a fatal stab. Souji's hand fumbled blindly for the katana, grabbing it and thrusting forward in a desperate attack.

The fatal strike hit home; Souji looked up to see his katana buried in Dao's stomach, the knife mere centimeters away from his eye. Nyx, still playing the spectator, smiled and subtly licked her lips. "_...Excellent."_

Contrary to the blood coating Souji's blade, merriment danced in Dao's eyes as he reached up to grab the fragmented mask. It crumbled under his fingers as he crushed the ruined material into dust, revealing more of his face as he grinned at Souji. "Ya did good, kid."

He dropped the knife, grabbing the blade of the katana and pushing it further into his gut. He coughed a small cloud of blood, his hair covering his eyes as he bowed his head in pain and chuckled. "Ohh, there we go. Don't need me comin' back, now do we?"

His other hand snatched Souji's before he could let go of the blade in his shock, ensuring that he saw their rivalry wind down to its final, bloody end. "See, now this is what I meant. You aren't getting out of this with clean hands. You spare me, I-" He hacked, buckling to his knees and taking a deep breath before he shakily continued. "I heal. I kill you," He cocked his head to Naoto, who was equally stunned. "I kill your girl. Everything goes to shit. And we don't want that, do we?"

Blue flames rose around his shoulders as he smirked, keeping one hand firmly on the painted blade. "I'm passing the torch. Now, kill that imposter."

His smirk turned into what looked like a sincere smile as he glowed briefly fading into a wisp of fog, leaving Souji with a ball of light in his hand and a bloody katana.

_The World (?) - __4_5_6_7_8___**9**_

Naoto appeared at his side, a hand on his back as he struggled to even sit, his katana falling from numb hands as he stared blankly at the pool of blood at his feet. "_Wonderful! I can feel your despair. Such a raw feeling from having to break your self-imposed shackle. We may reach the end even more quickly than I hoped!"_

Souji found the conviction to snap out of his stupor, gritting his teeth and standing to face Nyx. She simply smiled and gazed into his eyes for a moment; her crimson irises widening in recognition after a moment. "_Ah...oh, that is amazing! This must be those Social Links that I've heard about from her memories! I see...he lives on through you. You truly are an interesting person. Not that it particularly matters at this point in the day."_

Nyx giggled and turned away, only briefly looking over her shoulder as Naoto fired a powered bullet into her back. "_...Those that remained awake during this Dark Night are fighting for their lives, despair and discord all but consuming them if not for their 'bonds' and their adrenaline! Their apathy as they realize that the full moon has risen will only increase, and they will surrender themselves to Death!"_

Nyx allowed herself a laugh as she looked up, the ceiling of the building tearing away to reveal a long corridor behind the school, strewn with shadows, ruined structures resembling Tartarus and an enormous chapel-esque building lying about a mile away. "_Minako Arisato's soul has almost been completely consumed, and, as my catalyst, the Fall will finally arrive."_

She turned again to face the two. "_If you wish to oppose me even further, then come. Join me at the Great Seal and watch it all."_

She disappeared in a flash of static, leaving Souji and Naoto to ponder their next move.

[- Iwatodai_Port Island Station -]

"Sho-kun, help me out here!"

Labrys pinned a particularly intimidating Giant shadow to the wall with the haft of her axe, insistently cocking her head towards it as Sho eviscerated an approaching blob of ichor. "Stop freakin' out!"

He threw one of his swords like a lance, impaling the Giant as he dashed over and stomping on its head. Retrieving the makeshift spear, he placed both blades against its neck and spun backwards, cleaving its head from its stone body. He landed in a crouch, wiping the ooze off his blades before standing and bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. "C'mon. We gotta head to where Souji went. Get everyone else, make a bottleneck, all that."

"Fuuka-san, did ya catch that?

"_Yes! I've already relayed the plan to the others, they're going to start pushing in that direction."_

"Thanks bunches. Sho-kun, let's go!"

He responded by stepping around her and impaling an approaching shadow, punting it into a wall and grabbing her hand. "About damn time. Come on!"

"H-hey!"

Sho managed to drag her for a few feet before she stood her ground and yanked her hand back. Sho stumbled, his shoes kicking up a small cloud of dust as he came to a stop. He turned and fixed her with a glare that bore no real malice, but was admonishing regardless. "What? We have to move."

"We should go to the Kirijo building. Get Fuuka-san and keep her with us."

"She's already being protected! The hell do you want to go there for?"

"Three of ours isn't gonna be enough if this keeps up! We need to stick together, come on!"

She broke into a run, heading for the Kirijo building and leaving Sho in the dust. "Hey! Labrys, wait!"

He sighed, calling Tsukiyomi to open a portal. "Idiot."

He hopped in, warping close enough to Labrys to grab her by her shirt and pull her back into the portal. "Hey- whoaa!"

The two found each other in front of Kirijo HQ in but an instant, but Sho was unused to having a charge while he teleported. As such, the two were sent sprawling out of the portal, although Sho managed to land on his back and catch Labrys on top of him. He placed a protective hand on the android girl's head as they skidded across the road in front of the building for a few feet, ignoring the burns and pricks against his back until they stopped. "Ow, ow, ow…"

"You okay?"

Labrys squeezed her eyes shut before opening them slowly, her sight immediately focusing on Sho. "What were ya thinkin'?! You know I hate when you use those! And then you pulled me _into_ one!"

Sho scoffed, crossing his arms behind his head; this was gonna take a minute. "Told ya to wait. I had my reasons."

"Well, you coulda told me!"

"Huh? Did you want me to go all," He clasped his hands in front of him, taking on a high-pitched singsong tone as he mocked, "'Hey, Labrys-chan! Would you mind if we cross the rainbow bridge? It'll get us to our dear friends so much faster!'"

Labrys grinned, about to comment on his impression when she noticed just where they were. "Ohmygosh, are you okay?"

"You just noticed?"

Labrys looked down, noticing rather distinctly that she was still atop him. "Uh...whoops. Let me, um...move."

"Uh-huh."

"Let's- let's go! Get the, er…"

"Uh-huh."

"Stop grunting at me!"

"Hmhmm…"

[- Tartarus_The Gate -]

Souji stared past the corridor, heaving a weary sigh and picking his katana off the floor. Naoto watched quietly as he searched for Totsuka, hefting it onto his back with a soft groan. He gazed down the path one more time before turning to Naoto. "Naoto, I have to do this."

"Don't you start with this hero schtick again. I'm going with you."

Souji smirked. "Wasn't gonna say that."

"Sure you weren't."

"Well, yeah, of course not. I mean, we might be kinda screwed here. I'd rather have you by my side than dying alone."

Naoto smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek fondly. "I'm glad. Well, as much as I can be, given the circumstances." Souji smiled, laughter in his eyes as he kept his cheek nuzzled against her palm. She rewarded him with a gentle little brush of her thumb. "Let me help you carry this burden."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Her smile widened happily as she let him go and checked her weaponry, nodding to herself and saying, "Then, let's go."

[- Tartarus_The Great Seal -]

Souji's footprints echoed audibly on the cool stone floor, a quick look over his shoulder telling him that the room seemed to stretch on indefinitely in both directions. He continued walking silently until he came upon a statue of someone who looked oddly familiar. However, upon, closer inspection, it wasn't a statue at all.

It was a person. It was Minako Arisato.

"_Ah, you came! Good, good. Now we can have one last dance." _Nyx glanced past Souji and smirked at Naoto. "_I see you've brought a third wheel."_

Souji grunted, adjusting the Totsuka on his back and unsheathing his katana. Naoto followed suit, firming her stance and subtly drawing her revolver. "Afraid that's you, lady. This ends now."

"_...I see. Then, let us begin."_

Nyx slowly moved her arms in a circle, bringing one hand low and pulling it back to her shoulder, a line of black fire coating the trail. A split-second later, Minako's naginata appeared, her fingers closing around it as it it were an old friend. She closed her eyes, her next words echoing throughout the white room.

"_You will experience such suffering in life...that you will not be able to resist begging for death. And, of course, I shall...provide."_

Nyx grinned and spread her arms wide, a fiery blue aura enveloping her as the telltale sound of glass breaking echoed through the air. Souji's eyes widened as he placed the sound to one that normally reassured him of his own strength; the summoning of a Persona. "_Heed me, Messiah."_

There was a warm flash of light as Minako Arisato's Persona burst into view, an open palm pressed against its chest as its other hand clutched a chain of eerie coffins. It floated briefly, landing behind Nyx and spreading its wings wide. Souji's eyes widened, but he growled and dug his heels into the earth and held Totsuka aloft. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

"Well, we're all in. May as well make the most of it."

Souji grinned, fueled by adrenaline and encouraged by Naoto's enthusiasm. "I like the way you think."

* * *

**Adachi's back, baby! I wanted to write his dialogue as similar to the way Souji speaks, because y'know...it's cool. At least, to me it is.**

**The leadup to the end of this chapter was originally much different, and I went through several alternate scenarios. Dao could have survived, Naoto could have been left behind, or they all work together...possibilities!**

**On another note, been playin' NieR: Automata as of late...I could harp about that **_**soundtrack **_**for **_**hours**_**...Aah, life is beautiful sometimes. It's been a musical day for me. I listened the Automata OST, the Yakuza 0/6 OST, then I thought to myself, "Why do I like Labrys?" Then I listened to her theme and it all came flooding back to me. Aw...good times.**

**...Sorry for rambling. We're almost upon the finale, folks!**


	27. Prices to Pay

**Initially, I was honestly torn between using the name of Minako Arisato or Kotone Shiomi. The latter...hmm, I dunno, it has a nice ring to it.**

**FINALLY BACK. Been a few months, eesh. Still, I'll be honest. My heart kinda leapt with joy whenever I got a notification that someone favorited or followed this.**

* * *

[- Tartarus_The Great Seal -]

"_I'll admit, I'm impressed."_

Nyx smiled and examined her tattered uniform, ignoring the multitude of cuts and bullets riddling her body. "_Even though I lack my full power, yours is still considerable."_

"All I hear is the bluster of a coward. Why do you keep running away?!"

Souji was seething, the Totsuka blade gripped tight in his hands while his katana waited on his hip. He blinked hard, focusing his uncharacteristic anger on Nyx as he tried to calm himself down and ignore the numerous cuts he had sustained in their battle. A particularly long cut had drawn blood to flow down his brow, but he stood by Naoto as Nyx spoke again. "_You're quite...brash. Just like Dao."_

He growled, lunging forward and swinging the Totsuka low at Nyx's legs. She pursed her lips and blew a cloud of black fog into Souji's face, sending him stumbling back and disappearing in a burst of light as Naoto fired at her. She reappeared a few feet away as Souji clawed at his shirt, coughing roughly as black veins spread across his skin. "_I dislike using force. I'd would rather __**let**_ _my enemy...for lack or a better word, die."_

"What did you do…?"

Nyx smirked and dropped her naginata to vanish in a thread of energy, raising her hands mockingly as Naoto raised her shotgun. "_I simply influenced his body to follow my rules. Not necessarily mind control, it's more like...insistent deterioration."_

Souji doubled over as he body seized up, the strange color in the veins spreading and causing him to drop his katana. He tried to summon a Persona to cure the affliction, but it flickered and died into a wisp of light as he hacked again and choked on a breath. Naoto tried to contact Rise, but to no avail. "Rise-chan. Rise!...Ohh, that's not good."

"_I never was one for outside help. Call me old fashioned."_

Naoto wove under a surprise swing from Nyx's blade, quickly stepping in front of Souji as he collapsed next to his blades. "_Ah, that gives me life." _

Nyx flexed her fingers and curled them into fists, her eyes flashing a bright white as she grinned. "_Your worry is evident. I can feel it."_

"I'm not out of it yet - ack-"

Souji tried to stand, his legs giving way as he spat out a black substance. His body trembled feebly as Naoto crouched next to him, fiddling with the supplies she had brought along until she found a Hiranya, briefly inspecting the gleam of the item before Nyx appeared before her again. "_Don't interrupt."_

Naoto threw herself to the side, Nyx's naginata crashing down where she was crouching a moment ago. Her foot caught the detective in the side as she recovered from the maneuver, sending her rolling a foot or two away with a shout of pain and surprise.

Naoto rose slowly, clutching her stomach with a hand as she affirmed her stance. She took a deep breath, carefully holstering her revolver and raising her hands in front of her. "_...What are you doing? Are you conceding defeat? If so, normally you're supposed to raise them higher."_

Naoto slowly exhaled, her shoes scuffing the dirt below her feet as she grounded herself more firmly. Nyx frowned, planting the base of her naginata staff on the ground. "_Your silence is...more irritating than I thought it would be."_

She leapt low to the ground, drawing the blade past her chest to put the maximum strength into impaling Naoto with a single strike. Naoto narrowed her eyes, skirting around the polearm at the last second and elbowing Nyx hard in the stomach. She quickly grabbed the heft of the naginata and bashed it into the same spot. Naoto threw her hands upwards to smash Nyx in the face and steal the weapon for herself.

Nyx stumbled back as Naoto threw the spear away from them both, thrusting a hand out to where it landed. "_Nice try, but we're using magic here."_

The naginata appeared again in her grasp, light dancing around it briefly as she righted herself. Naoto stared her down for a moment, then smiled. "I know."

"_Then why are you-"_

Nyx's sentence was cut off by a massive explosion erupting from the naginata, engulfing her in white fire as Naoto protected herself with a hasty shield cast from Yamato Sumeragi. Suddenly, however, the scattered cinders and ash were swept out of the room as Nyx twirled her naginata overhead like a helicopter rotor. Naoto bit back the urge to groan, hiding it behind a smirk as she noticed that fire was licking at Nyx's body and clothes. "_Your determination is surprising…"_

Naoto dodged around a quick jab from the blade, shoving Nyx behind her and swiftly chopping the base of her neck. The attack would have knocked a human unconscious, but the strike simply staggered Nyx before she turned and tried to bring the weapon down on Naoto again. Rather than retreat, Naoto lunged forward, slamming her shoulder into Nyx's chest while her arms were still raised. The goddess smirked down at her, turning her naginata to stab Naoto's back and whispering, "_Brave, but foolish-"_

Naoto interrupted her lecture by drawing a knife from a sheath on her shoulder and thrusting it savagely into Nyx's side. The shock from the strike allowed Naoto to duck back again, yanking the knife from the open wound with a swift twist. Nyx clutched her side, fog swirling around the laceration as she pointed the spear at Naoto. "_Ohoho, I like you. Not the princess I took you for."_

Naoto's knife disappeared back into its sleeve as she hastily reloaded her revolver and raised it in kind. "There are numerous misconceptions about the Shirogane family. An aversion to fighting dirty is particularly egregious one."

Yamato Sumeragi brandished her sabre and saluted Nyx in an almost mocking manner, if the way the Persona cocked her head was any indication. "Now get out of my way."

[- Iwatodai_Gekkoukan High School -]

Aigis ran through the streets of Iwatodai at a steady clip, scouring the alleyways for her target. Her fist shot out as soon as a shadow crept into her view, her wrist rotating into a shotgun that quickly blew it apart. "Ken! Are you there?!"

"_I understand that one of the Operatives retired from the team after the P-1 incident?"_

_Aigis blinked, her eyes flashing in recognition as she nodded. "Yes. Ken was encouraged to leave by Mitsuru-san."_

"_I see. Someone like us will be just as active during this Dark Hour. Now, I'm really hoping that tonight's teams will be enough of a force to handle what needs to done. In that regard, I need you to find Ken."_

"_...And you are certain you do not need my help in the coming operation?"_

_Souji managed a grin and shook his head. "I would welcome it. But that'd mean Ken would be left on his own."_

"_Whatever you think best. I will seek him out as soon as I am ready."_

"_Thank you."_

_Souji offered a hand to the android, an offer she took by clasping it firmly. The Wild Card shared between them sent a burst of energy through them both, a welcome encouragement for the coming battle. "I'm counting on you."_

A launcher popped out of her back and fired a grenade at a crowd of shadows, quickly dispersing them as she ran towards the smoke and flame. The visor she was wearing allowed Aigis to move through the smoke without hindrance. "...Koromaru!"

Aigis picked up on the far-off shout from within Gekkoukan, opening the jets hidden in her legs and blasting towards the origin.

"Why are there so many shadows?!"

That was the next cry that rang out of the abandoned gym, leading Aigis to the entrance to see Ken Amada and Koromaru, ever faithful to his master, fighting off a veritable hoard of shadows. The former was able to spot Aigis drifting into the building, letting out a quick cheer before smacking away a Hablerie with a bat he had presumably procured from the storeroom. Aigis dove into the fight without hesitation, reaching over her shoulder to retrieve a rifle stowed in her back. She used the remaining fuel for her jets to stay out of reach of the shadows, firing and reloading as quickly as she could to thin the crowd. The firearm was quickly switched out for a gatling gun, raining fire down on the crowd as Ken and Koromaru called their respective Persona to join in the destruction. With the power of the three, the skirmish was over rather quickly, with Aigis landing close to them and stowing her weapons away. "Are you two alright?"

"I think so. Are you, Koromaru?"

"Wurf."

"We're good. What's happening? I figured it was the Dark Hour, but that was supposed to be over and this one's been lasting way longer than usual-"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I'm glad I was able to find you before something bad happened. We should go. Mitsuru-san and the others are holed up in the Kirijo building."

Ken affirmed the grip he had on his bat, leaning down to pat Koromaru on the head. The dog yipped in reply, bouncing slightly on his paws as if eager to go. "Ready as I'll ever be. Lead the way."

[- Tartarus_The Great Seal -]

Naoto quickly administered the Hiranya to Souji, straddling his chest and using her elbow to pin him down as he writhed blindly under her. The black veins on his skin retreated as the medicine flowed through him. "Get up, get up, get up, get up-"

She crawled off him and raised her hands in front of her face, a spherical shield forming over them both as Nyx tried to stomp on her. The shield faltered briefly as Naoto felt pain lance through her, but she committed her remaining energy to keeping it active despite her focus dulling with exhaustion. "Souji, wake up!"

Nyx grinned and raised her naginata, smashing through the shield and sending Naoto sprawling back. She tried to reach for her revolver, but a black, crystalline shard sliced her shoulder in passing. Naoto hissed in pain, clutching the fresh wound even as blood soaked into her sleeve and palm. "_A valiant effort, my dear Shirogane. But an effort is all it was."_

Naoto simply glared at Nyx as her grin grew wider, placing the edge of her spear at the detective's throat. A single stroke would be sufficient to end her. "_Allow me to reward you with a swift death-"_

The blade of a familiar katana seemed to grow from within Nyx's chest, the goddess sparing a brief glance at it and muttering, "_And now this is happening."_

Souji's arm wrapped around her shoulders from behind, throwing her away from the both of them; the move effectively switched them around, with Souji able to stand guard in front of Naoto while Nyx landed neatly a few feet away. "_...Welcome back to the land of the...not dying."_

"Thanks. You suck."

Souji looked over his shoulder and smiled softly at Naoto, who had relaxed slightly due to his presence. "Sorry about that. Felt like my insides were melting a little."

"At least you're up. About time."

She winced, looking at her hand and tearing the sleeve off her shirt and using it to staunch the bleeding. Souji picked up the Totsuka and tested his grip, smiling grimly as he murmured, "My turn to protect you."

Naoto snorted and drew her revolver, staggering to her feet and pointing it at Nyx, deadpanning, "How sweet."

"_How about we take five? I'm still burning a bit from Shirogane blowing me up, and…"_

"...You blew her up?"

"More along the lines of I blew up her weapon, but sure."

"Proud of ya."

Nyx planted her naginata in the earth, leaning casually on it even as Souji remained at the ready. "_I can see why Dao wanted to turn against me. You have that same spark in your eye."_

"...Do you have any sympathy for him? From what I understand, you're the reason he even turned away from...everything."

Nyx chuckled, shrugging and closing her eyes as she reminisced. "_Dao was a fool. He had the potential to kill me, truly end me forever. Do you want to know why he failed?"_

"I'm sure you're gonna tell us."

Nyx smiled, reaching a hand up to thread slender fingers through her hair. The barrettes keeping it in a neat bundle were scattered as she closed her eyes serenely, her naginata and Messiah disappearing out of view. Souji blinked, loath to admit that in that moment, Nyx looked identical to Arisato. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Nyx's eyes snapped open, crimson irises shining cheerily as she smirked. "_We're quite similar, no? Dao had one flaw. Or rather, two. The first was that he needed his sister. A chain to his so-called humanity, if you will. The second...was that he was stupid enough to fall in love."_

Naoto narrowed her eyes, already piecing together exactly what she meant. "You manipulated him down to the letter."

Nyx grinned, leaning forward coyly and clasping her hands behind her back. "_It was quite the dilemma he faced, too. He had heard all these stories, all these legends about the girl who saved the world. Salvaged what she could from the scourge that was...me. Honestly, who wouldn't fall in love with that? Dao was enraptured!"_

Souji felt a newfound anger boil within him as he came to terms that Dao was a pawn from the very beginning. "_Imagine how torn he was when he saw her face, offering him and his sister salvation from their sorry state. Oh...if I had a heart it would be aching for the fool."_

Nyx raised her hand to block Souji's strike, black blood running from the deep wound from the katana. Her shoulder jerked back slightly from the Naoto's bullet, a smile present on her face all the while. She slowly turned her gaze to Souji's fury-filled one, eyes gleaming with amusement at the success of her gambit. "_I know. He, in a sense, lives on in you. It only makes sense that you're upset. I wonder…"_

__She yanked her arm back, shoving Souji away from her and plucking the katana out from where it was still embedded. "_Does his attraction remain as well?"_

The heavy blade of Totsuka buried itself in the ground as Souji hefted it off his back, gritting his teeth as Nyx retrieved her weapon, smiling as she was framed by the Great Seal; a reminder of what light lay at the end of the tunnel. "_I imagine that little tidbit has angered you, judging by the red in your eyes. Fair warning! This will be an uphill battle from here on."_

Nyx glowed a soft purple, flames flowing off of her body like a miasma of disease. She called Messiah again, obscuring the Seal from view as the Persona seemed to share the same aura.

"_I can feel their despair. It seems they're losing faith in their precious leader…It's useless."_

Nyx grinned as Messiah lowered itself down, its wings spreading wide and curling inwards to shield them both. A soft blue light emanated from within the macabre cocoon until it opened again, revealing Nyx swathed in a layer of shadow. "_All shall perish."_

[- Iwatodai_Near Kirijo HQ -]

"So yeah. Now we're here."

Labrys shrugged tiredly as Fuuka tried to wipe some of the slime from the shadows off her cheek. The handkerchief she was using was quickly stained black with the substance, leading her to apologize and settle for cleaning it off with her palm. Labrys looked at her senior with a smile, reaching her arms out to offer her a hug. Fuuka accepted, gently patting the android's head and murmuring, "I'm just glad you made it here safely."

"Well, Sho-kun can teleport, so...y'know."

"I know."

Sho quietly watched the two, turning his gaze to Mitsuru and Akihiko collaborating to figure out their next move. He sighed, looking at his hand and flexing his fingers. It wouldn't be long before the next horde of shadows arrived, bringing them that much closer to the edge. "The hell's takin' them so long…"

"You okay?"

Sho's head shot up to stare at Shinjiro, eyes narrowing briefly as the latter frowned at him. "I ain't gonna bite your head off, kid."

"...Hm."

"What's on your mind?"

"Do they have a plan yet?"

Sho pointed one of his knives at the aforementioned collaborators, swiftly stowing it back in his belt after a flourish between his fingers. "I never liked this kind of silence."

"You and me both. And no, we don't have a plan."

"Fantastic. If we leave the building, we're sitting ducks. If we stay here, we're sitting ducks. Did Yamagishi try to call for help?"

"She put the call out, but response is all messed up. If someone shows up, good for us. Otherwise we're stuck here till Souji takes care of business."

"Kind of a shitty hand to bet on, isn't it?"

Shinjiro snorted, shaking his head as his swinging hand hefted his axe to test its weight. "We've been dealt worse, trust me. Just gotta hang in there."

The sound of rustling metal pulled their attention to the door of the room. An armored figure was slowly walking towards the stagnating barrier, samurai armor shifting slightly with its movements. Two sheathed katanas rested on its respective hips, and a blank mask with a large gash along the browline adorned it as a macabre decoration. Sho looked down at his own weapons, adjusting them to be ready to draw if necessary. "The hell's up with that guy?"

"That's one of those Shades Shirogane wrote in her report."

A tremor echoed through the ground as the Shade stopped, a legion of onyx Mushas streaming into the room and lining up behind it as if they were a military regiment. "...And he brought friends."

The Shade melted into the crowd, reappearing at the back with one katana drawn and raised in the air. Slowly, it lowered its arm to point at the defenders. Shinjiro grunted, stepping out of the barrier and hefting his ono. "It's like that, is it?"

Sho and Labrys followed suit, joined shortly afterward by Mitsuru and Akihiko. The boxer sighed, reaching into his pocket and drawing a pair of brass knuckles. As he fit them onto his hands, Mitsuru couldn't help but gape at him. "You had those the whole time?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why did you not use them earlier?!"

"They-they have swords. I'm not punching that."

"Focus, you two."

The shadow army seemed to be waiting for their opposition to strike first, but Sho had other plans. He glanced at his comrades briefly and smirked to himself. "Well, you guys have fun with that."

Labrys heard the telltale sound of a portal opening, looking up and running out of the barrier just in time to see Sho disappear from view. "Wha - hey! Where's he going?!"

Shinjiro grunted out a small chuckle, scratching the hair under his beanie and adjusting it properly. "Trust your buddy. We have work to do, and I don't feel like stopping here."

He frowned, his grip on his axe tightening until his knuckles began to grow white. _Better bring her back, Souji._

The Mushas began to march forward, drawing their respective weapons as the defenders readied themselves for the showdown. A roar rumbled through the room as the two sides charge not a minute later, causing Sho to cover his ears jokingly as he reclined on one of the hanging ceiling lights. He idly scanned the cacophony, sight locking onto the Shade waiting in the back and surveying the destruction. A manic grin crossed his face as he shifted into a balanced crouch, adjusting his sheathed swords onto his back and drawing one of his knives. "Here goes."

He leapt off the light and dove towards the Shade, twirling his knife underhand as he prepared to strike. The Shade looked up quizzically just before he landed, kicking it hard in the face and sending them tumbling to the floor. Sho pinned the Shade under him and forced its face up with one hand, swiftly stabbing it in the neck with his knife in the other. Fog burst out of the wound as the Shade screamed angrily, grabbing Sho by his shirt collar and kicking him off. He landed a few feet away and drew his swords, smiling grimly at the Shade as it rose and yanked the knife out of its throat. It stared up at Sho through its eyeless mask, snapping the knife between its fingers as it drew its own katanas. "Sorry 'bout that."

The Shade cocked its head slightly until Sho broke out laughing, lowering the points of his swords to the floor to show just how much he didn't take the adversary seriously. "Okay, no, I'm not. Gimme a second, I'm gonna feed you that stupid mask."

[- Tartarus_The Great Seal -]

"Messiah."

Souji's katana glanced off of Nyx once again, repelled by the unseen force she had coated herself with just after calling her Persona. It leaned down and grabbed Souji, letting go immediately as he hastily called Izanagi to cleave its arm. It wound back and punched them both with its chain of coffins, sending Souji flying back as Izanagi dissipated. Naoto crouched next to him, hauling him up by his arm and lifting her shotgun with her free hand. Messiah leaned over Nyx, raising a hand to crush them both. "Now!

Her Persona appeared, swiftly opening a long cut in Messiah's hand and giving Naoto the chance to shoot it. Messiah recoiled with a roar reverberating from its eerily closed mouth, glaring down at Souji as he stood again and called Magatsu Izanagi. Nyx walked clean through Messiah as it disappeared, clapping slowly as the opposing duo stood at the ready. "_Such an unorthodox maneuver!"_

Souji could see that the same hand that Yamato Sumeragi had sliced was now bleeding black on Nyx's own body. The goddess seemed to ignore the wound, but Naoto felt something click in her mind as she spoke again. "_Honestly, you're making me grow kind of attached! Don't do that, I've already suffered such heartbreak once."_

Messiah appeared in front of her again, pressing a hand to its chest and looking up at the ceiling, its gaze framing where Minako was sealed in an almost reverent light. Naoto scoffed at the blatant attempt at symbolism, taking advantage of Nyx's obstructed view to nudge Souji. "We must attack her Persona."

"I feel like attacking in general is a good rule of thumb."

"Just...listen. Or rather, look. At its hand."

The wound on Messiah's hand was consistent despite it being summoned anew, bleeding light as Nyx bled black. "Ah. So we have to slap the Persona rather than-"

"Her corporeal form, yes."

"Interesting."

"_She wasn't one of many words, most certainly not-"_

Nyx stopped short of her monologue as a jagged gash drew a long line from her collarbone to waist, black blood bursting out of the fresh wound onto her hands and the floor. She looked down, puzzled at the injury, muttering, "_What…?"_

Souji smirked, dismissing Magatsu Izanagi as it lazily shouldered its spear and admired its handiwork of carving Messiah's chest open in a similar manner. "I see a little flaw in your defense."

"_What?"_

"Well, it was more like my girlfriend found it, credit where it's due, but hey! That's the long and short of it."

Nyx fell to her knees as Messiah collapsed next to her, growling into the ground as she looked up and spat, "_What have you done?! Why is Messiah-"_

"Still in play?"

Naoto shouldered her shotgun and smiled serenely, chirping, "That was me."

"_You...what?!"_

"I reverse-engineered my attack to inflict the opposite of the status ailment it would have initially inflicted. So, instead of being Silenced…"

"Oho, that's good."

Nyx glowered at them both, trying to contain her ire as blood pooled at her feet. She staggered upright, eyes growing dull as she gasped in pain. "_You...impossible! There's-...I should have absorbed that!"_

Naoto clicked her tongue with a shake of her head, holstering her shotgun and shrugging. "It _would _have. Your mistake was believing your Persona would share the same benefit."

She walked over to the fallen goddess and squatted in front of her, staring the mimic dead in the face as she declared, "I suppose you do not know Minako-san as well as you thought."

Nyx let out an uncanny shriek of anger, thrusting her naginata forward in a desperate attempt to strike the detective. Her roar turned quickly into a scream as another wound opened in her weapon hand, the naginata falling out of her gasp and disappearing in a spark. Yamato Sumeragi was perched on the pommel of her sabre, pinning Messiah's hand to the floor as she assumed a regal stance atop the weapon. "_No…"_

"I'll readily admit it's not in my nature to gloat. However, given that you are the source of no small amount of misfortune for my family, I suppose I can make an exception."

Naoto stood, turning on her heel and walking back to Souji, who was waiting to bring his blade down on Messiah should either target grow uppity. "She's all yours."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to - ugh."

Naoto froze as Messiah's hand grabbed hold of Souji in a flash, its fingers acting as a barrier of sorts between the two. Nyx was rapidly losing strength, but she still found the ability to use Messiah's as a substitute. "_Die. Just...die!"_

Messiah's grip tightened on Souji, forcing a shout of pain from him as he raised his katana again. "N-Naoto!"

"I got you-!"

Naoto stumbled forward with a cry, blood spraying from a long cut on her back from Nyx's naginata. _Shit._

Souji thrust his blade into Messiah's hand, using it as an anchor point as it roared again and threw him away. He hit the ground hard with a choked grunt, skidding to a stop on his back and with his weapons lying a few feet away. Messiah looked down at Naoto and batted her away with an errant swipe as Nyx stumbled towards it. Souji quickly moved to catch her, raising his arms only to be bowled over by his charge. The two fell in an ungainly heap as Nyx glared at her still-bleeding wounds. "_No...NO! It cannot end here! It WILL not end here!"_

Black flames and shadows surrounded Nyx, converging closer and closer to her until she was enveloped in a pillar of bright light. When the dust cleared, Naoto bit back a gasp as Souji grimaced at the gruesome sight, setting her down and scrambling for his katana. Nyx had fused rather repulsively with Messiah, as the once noble looking Persona dropped to all fours, black blood pouring from its eyes as it opened a mouth filled with serrated teeth. The coffins it once had used as a crude bludgeon were now fastened to its back, thrown open and breathing out blood red mist. Souji squinted slightly, a shiver running down his spine when he saw ghostly faces wailing in the mist. "_This game has gone on long enough! DIE!"_

The corrupted Messiah's mouth opened, a bright ball of energy forming and slowly growing in its maw. Nyx's voice bellowed angrily through the room as the ground trembling, the stone under its limbs splintering under the pressure of her rage. "Oh, that is the opposite of good."

"We can't lose here! Yamato Sumeragi!"

Naoto raised her arm as Yamato Sumeragi appeared, thrusting her arms forward and creating a large, hexagonal-pattern shield in front of the two. Souji tensed as it solidified, averting his gaze to Naoto as he shouted, "You don't have the energy for a Shield of Justice!"

"The alternative is _far _less appealing. Be quiet and duck!"

The ball burst out in a torrent of energy, razing the floor as Nyx-Messiah raised its head to try and direct the laser at the two. A loud screech pierced the air as the blast hit the Shield full force, engulfing the two in a blinding wave of dark.

[- Inaba_Tatsuhime Shrine -]

Yosuke leapt back as a shadow burst from a concentrated pocket of wind cast by his Persona, about to rush back into the battle when he heard a scream of pain. He glanced between the shrine and where Junpei and Chie had teamed up to take down an Okina shadow. The latter kicked its support stilts out with a heavy kick, Junpei jumping over her with a whoop and smashing the shadow's face in with his bat. Chie glanced at Yosuke upon hearing Marie's cry, pointing at the shrine and urging him on. "Go!"

Yosuke rushed into the shrine, stowing his daggers away and crouching down next to Marie. He pulled her up by her arm and let her brace against the pillar of the shrine as he checked the entrance for attackers. "What's wrong?"

"Souji...he's-"

An unearthly scream tore the air, but the sound inherently was off. Neither the shadows nor the fighters in the vicinity of the shrine had loosed anything as remotely unnerving as what they heard. Marie pushed herself away from Yosuke, staggering over to the shrine and standing before the large, gilded structure. She gulped, tugging uneasily at her dress shirt as she stared at the architecture, Yosuke's yells as he dove back into the fight eventually falling into a numb silence. Slowly, she raised her hands, wincing as she felt her eye throb painfully. Her latent electricity began to spark around her fingers, slowly travelling up her arm as she carefully opened her left eye. It shone a bright greenish-blue, filtering what she truly saw in the world. It was in this manner that she was able to hone in on Souji, both through her connection to him and his proximity to the incoming calamity. She suppressed a wince when she saw the aftermath of what looked like a massive blast, biting her lip hard even as she saw the Orb of Sight shining from within Souji's core.

[- Tartarus_The Great Seal -]

Souji felt a strange warmth flow through his numbed limbs as he groggily regained consciousness. His hand moved to his brow to brush off some of the blood that had dried there, wincing as cold air greeted the raw wound. Rolling onto his stomach, he groaned as bits of debris jabbed into him. He forced himself to his knees to see Messiah-Nyx perched around the Great Seal, vehemently blasting parts of the building with errant bursts of energy. Souji decided to capitalize on the lack of focus, casting about to find Naoto. Catching sight of her was easy enough, a bundle of white and blue lying a few feet away amidst her discarded revolver and the remnants of the shield she had cast.

Souji found the strength to drag himself over to her, ignoring the strain of his muscles and the still-bleeding gash in his leg. He slipped his hand under her neck and turned her towards him, carefully cradling her head against his chest as he surveyed the extent of her wounds.

The primary arm Naoto had used to activate the Shield of Justice was bloodied, the sleeve of her shirt burnt away completely, forcing Souji to see the brunt of the lacerations and burns she had suffered even through the barrier. Being moved about caused her to unconsciously curl into herself slightly, a pained whimper escaping her lips as she suffered in a dreamless slumber. At that moment, the only consolation Souji could take was that she was still breathing, wincing softly every other breath in her pain. "Naoto, I…"

Souji choked up, holding her close as he tried to find a glimmer of hope in a situation spiralling out of control. A hand seized his throat suddenly, wrenching him away from Naoto and slamming him bodily into a wall. Nyx kept him pinned there as he fought for breath, although the goddess was able to perceive that his attempts were pitiful at best. "_...What's this? Have you finally come to understand the jeopardy you've placed yourself in?"_

Souji fell heavily to the floor, struggling to move his numbed body when Nyx's foot slammed down on his chest. His breath was forced out in a harsh gasp, the sickening sound of his bones being crushed made all too apparent as he screamed in agony. She leaned down to gaze at him, brushing her fingers against his chin as she listening to his cries. Despite her face being wreathed in shadow, Minako's eye stared down at him dismissively as she declared, "_Your every cell will know the meaning of pain when I am done with you. And when we finally reach that plateau, I will liberate you from this...wretched existence."_

Souji simply gazed dumbly at the personification of death, unable to do more than salvage what he could of his composure. The realization that he was alone in this final battle dropped on him like a weight, the feeling scarcely rivalling Nyx's foot crashing down as she picked him up again. "_What happened to your drive? The fire within you has withered to a spark. Why?"_

Souji simply stared at her, the will to fight leaving him as hopelessness tore into him. "_I see. If there is no more to be found here, then I suppose our relations have come to an end. Truly disappointing." _

Minako's face grinned at him eerily, and he remembered everything in a flood of recognition.

He remembered Marie lecturing him about abuse of the masks and trying to hide her concern behind her power over weather.

Nyx threw him against the wall and pinned his shoulder to the rock with a swift thrust of naginata. Blood soaked into his shirt and stained the wall as he lamely tried to free himself from the blade.

He remembered his final talk with Yosuke.

His fingers tightened on the metal. Nyx smiled, amused at his efforts.

Reassuring Chie at Junes.

Light returned to his eyes, fire boiling within him as he braced his feet against the wall, grinding out a choked roar as he grabbed hold of the naginata's shaft with his other hand.

Promising Yukiko that they would work together again.

Nyx looked confused, pushing the blade further into the wall with Souji along with it.

Rise's support and cheers after a battle long fought.

The metal of the naginata began to crack.

Kanji confiding in him and the fight that followed.

A sliver of hesitation and panic lanced through Nyx's normally unfeeling eyes, forming a ball of black flame in her hand to quickly end whatever Souji's gimmick.

He remembered Naoto smiling down at him whenever he woke up from an exhaustion-induced sleep.

He remembered the friends he had made in the Kirijo Group, even managing to find a strange camaraderie in Sho.

And..._That's right...I made a promise._

"_Die."_

"For a goddess of death, you're pretty bad at your job."

"_What?!"_

Souji's fist glowed from within and he brought it crashing down on the arm pinning him to the wall, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as her naginata pierced clean through it. His palm opened to reveal the Orb of Sight shining brighter than ever before, his katana warping to his free hand. "I'd venture to say that you don't understand the importance of those behind me."

His shoulder mended itself and healed instantly while he held the Orb, pointing his katana at the stunned goddess and shouting, "For them, I'll get back up as many times as necessary!"

Souji raised his katana to the sky, the ceiling breaking open as if making way for the lightning bolt that streamed down and coated his blade. His silver eyes were alight with almighty rage as he watched Nyx speed towards him. "Let's end this."

The blade of her naginata was inches away from his chest when he brought the katana down in an almost-instantaneous slash, destroying the naginata and sending Nyx reeling with electricity coating the long laceration across her chest. "_What?!"_

Souji remained silent, instead swinging the katana twice more. He flourished it and turned, swiping downwards and throwing the both in the air with a swift uppercut. The katana seemed to take a mind of its own, slicing around him as his feet touched the ground again. Souji felt renewed vigor flow through him as he swung upwards again, throwing Nyx back down with a quick swipe and sending her stumbling back with a double-handed slash. Before she could recover, Souji crouched, holding his katana aloft as electricity danced across the blade. He turned and swung in a horizontal arc, a stream of lightning following the entire length of the weapon. Nyx felt the potent electricity lock her limbs and pin her in place as Souji stood tall, holding his hand out to her as the sound of glass breaking signalled her death toll.

"I'll show you my strength!"

Izanagi appeared low to the ground, drawing his spear back before slicing upward in a final, shining slash. The attack launched Nyx into the air, where Magatsu Izanagi appeared and sent her crashing down with a swipe of his armored claw. She landed hard on all fours, rearing back to roar before Magatsu dove downwards and kicked her face in. Her corrupted body almost folded grotesquely into itself, the blow decimating the ground below it. The Persona booted her a few feet away, disappearing in a flash as Souji raised his hand to the sky, a shining blue card whirling above his palm. It burst with a resounding echo, unleashing Izanagi-no-Okami. He floated slowly to the ground, white jacket billowing out behind him as he hefted his strange circular spear. Messiah fell away from Nyx's prone form, melting rather grotesquely into the ground rather than disappear as a Persona. Despite the change, Nyx still held Minako's form in the end. Izanagi lunged forward as she tried to rise, snatching the naginata out of her hands, snapping it, and pulling her up by her tattered uniform collar. He stared her in the eye impassively, the depths within his mask glowing faintly as her appearance began to burn and flicker away. He released her and promptly disappeared as Souji walked over to behold her true form; a humanoid mass of shadow, with a eerily smiling mask adorning her face. "Just like a Shade…"

"_Don't compare me to those abominations."_

Nyx shook her head, the angular fashion of the mask making it look as if her expression was one of disappointment. Suddenly, her hand lanced forward, seizing a form of tether that had subtly attached itself to Souji. By the way it was similarly tied to Nyx gave Souji the conclusion he was looking for; a mutual trade-off. "Your last gamble, hm."

"_Do you understand now? The price she was willing to pay?! If you wish to end this, then kill me! Kill us both!"_

Souji, rather than falter, smirked. "I'll take that bet."

He affirmed the grip on his katana and, with no hesitation, raised it above his head. The eyes on the mask seemed to widen, its smile remaining despite Nyx's feeling towards the contrary. Before she could say anything more, the blade flashed down on her.

The Great Seal moved, ever so slightly.

* * *

**I feel like I could have articulated this sooner, but it just popped into my head recently. What if Souji was heroic bordering on an obsession with doing the right thing. Example being willing to die for something with almost no hesitation. There's a trope for that, I'm sure.**

**Lots o' Persona spinoffs I'm hearing about recently. Still no Arena though, hm. All in all, however, still cool. Exciting, even.**

**I wanted to get this out there sooner rather than never. Hope you have thoughts about it. Thanks for reading!**


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